Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Honoring achievement and leadership

Troop 50 Scouts, parents and leaders gathered on June 2 to honor the achievements of its Scouts — from its newest Scouts who crossed over in March and April, to its senior Scouts who are transitioning to college. With the addition of 10 new families joining the Troop 50 families this spring as part of Webelos crossovers, the court of honor was by far the largest the troop has hosted to date.

Scouts William and John are presented as eligible candidates for
membership in the Order of the Arrow.

Prior to officially opening the court of honor, representatives from the Order of the Arrow's Chattahoochee Lodge #204 conducted an election of potential members, who are also known as "arrowmen." The Order of the Arrow, or "OA," is Scouting's national honor society founded in 1915 and dedicated to recognizing Scouts and leaders who exemplifies the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives. The OA elevates the ideals of brotherhood and cheerful service as a means of enhancing a Scout's overall Scouting experience. The troop had two eligible Scouts — William and John — who met the membership eligibility requirements, which include holding the rank of First Class or higher and accruing 15 or more days and nights of camping. Election results are made public during the troop's week at summer camp, when those elected are recognized during an OA "callout" ceremony.

SPL William presents Louie with Family Life Merit Badge.

Following OA elections, SPL William and ASPL John formally opened the court of honor, which included presenting a number of merit badges, again honoring our newest Scouts on earning the Scout rank, and awarding the First Class rank to Louie and Michael, and Life rank to William. Before Scoutmaster Baird presented Eagle Scout recognition certificates to Troop 50 Eagle Scouts who were unable to attend Saugahatchee District's March District Banquet, Air Force Captain Perr recognized Junior Assistant Scoutmaster Jake Jerome who, after graduating from Auburn High School in May, will report to the United States Air Force Academy at the end of June.

Scoutmaster Baird installing the troop's recently
elected and appointed troop leadership

Scoutmaster Baird complimented the leadership provided by SPL William and ASPL John during the first half of the year. He then proceeded to recognize the incoming youth leadership for the latter half of 2014 and installed them in their elected and appointed positions. The troop's senior leadership will include (pictured right to left) Senior Patrol Leader William (serving a second term), patrol leaders John and Robert, Assistant Patrol Leader Josh, Troop Guide Louie, and Quartermaster Andrew (not pictured is Assistant Senior Patrol Leader Davis and Assistant Patrol Leader Mark).

Scoutmaster Andrew Baird conveys appreciation on behalf of
Saugahatchee District to Troop Committee Chair Rob Stanford.

Final presentations included a recap of some of the adult leader recognitions made by Saugahatchee District at its March District Banquet. These included appreciation of Troop Committee Chair Rob Stanford's district-level contributions as Activities Chair and coordinator of several district events, and presentation of one of two District Awards of Merit to Charter Organization Representative Michael Tullier.

View additional photos from the court of honor in the troop's online photo album.