Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Eagle Scout Hands One to Autism

When I was younger I participated in Boy Scouts of America.  From the time I was eleven to when I was seventeen; I participated in many scouting activities such as weekend camping trips and weekly meetings.  In Boy Scouts, members of individual troops are driven to achieve Eagle Scout, the highest rank that Boy Scouts can offer.  This is a real achievement that will follow the scout through adulthood for the rest of their lives.  There are many benefits to becoming an Eagle Scout: it is something that one can put on their resume and there are also scholarships available only for Eagle Scouts.

Astronaut Jim Lovell was an Eagle Scout. So was my uncle, who is a business owner.  In my case, I just did not have the focus needed to achieve that highest rank.  I was in scouts when I was first diagnosed with autism, so there were other things going on at that time that distracted me from working to achieve Eagle Scout.  I made to the Star Rank which is stationed two ranks below Eagle.  Boy Scout ranks are as follows: Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, and Eagle.  After a scout reaches age 18, they are no longer eligible to become an Eagle Scout.

A required part of earning the Eagle Scout rank is that the scout has to organize and implement a community service project.  I participated in a handful of projects lead by other scouts when I was a teenager.  A fellow scout supervised the construction of a handicap ramp at a public building.  Another laid out a trail behind a middle school in town.  There is always a higher cause involved with an Eagle Scout project that is intended to benefit others.

James Galley from Smithtown New York recently earned his Eagle Scout Rank.  Galley worked many hours to renovate the Young Autism program playground and the entrance of the Developmental Disabilities Institute.  This act of good faith will surely benefit the lives of autistic children in years to come.  It is up to the scouts themselves to determine all the finer aspects of their project and I am glad that Galley chose to benefit children on the spectrum with his project.  For more information about Galley's Eagle Scout project, click on the following link:


http://smithtown.patch.com/articles/eagle-scout-renovates-playground-for-autistic-children

1 comment:

Spencer's Day said...

I commend you on reaching Star rank! I only made it 6 meetings. I just wasn't cut out for it, and I am an indoor type of guy.

Post a Comment