Christopher Mowry’s
Eagle Court of Honor

1. Christopher: Welcome
   • INTRODUCE JEFF STEELE, pastor, Cornerstone Church
2. Invocation: Jeff Steele
3. Scout Oath & Law: Christopher
   • INTRODUCE MR. KUYKENDALL, Cubmaster, Pack 575
4. Campfire Ashes: Jeff Kuykendall

Many years ago, a grand tradition was begun around a Scouting campfire just like this one. Way back in 1919, after a Scouting campfire was concluded, Scouts and Scouters took away from the firepit some ashes as a memento of the good times and brotherhood shared under the stars at a Scout campfire. Those ashes were added to the next campfire visited by the Scouts ... and so the tradition began of sharing campfire ashes.

Now, 80 years later, the ashes from those Scout campfires have been around the world twice. They have visited 37 different countries at Scout campfires done on 6 continents.

These campfire ashes first came to Pack 575 at Camp Three Falls in 1995. Since then, they have been at every campfire the Pack has held ... and at most of those campfires, the firebuilder was Christopher Mowry.

Today, the ashes at long last come to Troop 2. It is my great pleasure to add these campfire ashes to our fire and officially open this campfire.

1. Song: John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmitz or BINGO or Bill Grogan’s Goat: HM
2. Christopher introduce Skit:
3.  Song: Topnotcher: HM
4. Christopher introduce Skit:
5. Christopher introduce Skit: Campfire Singers

1. Christopher introduces Mr. Seamands
2. Mr. Seamands introduces the contingent
3. Discussion of the trip

1. Assistant Scoutmaster of the Year: HM
   1. Led Troop 2 contingent to Camp Whitsett for 3 years
   2. Currently serves as Chapter Advisor for the Serrano Chapter of the Malibu Lodge, Order of the Arrow
   3. Recently completed Scout Woodbadge
   4. Serves on the Scout training team
   5. Is moving to Ventura due to a job change ... but the Council already discovered him!
   6. Mr. Steve Johnston, Bill Hart District Assistant Scoutmaster of the Year
2. Scouter of the Year: HM
   1. Docent-Naturalist @ Placerita Nature Center, also an LA County Park
   2. Trail Boss @ Placerita
   3. Works with Eagle Scout candidates from this entire region
   4. Celebrating his 60th Anniversary as an Eagle Scout
   5. Earned his Eagle Badge in 1939
   6. 1999 Bill Hart District Scouter of the Year, Frank McDaniels
3. Placerita Nature Center Plaque: Frank McDaniels

We are here tonight to honor a young man as he becomes an Eagle Scout. As we do so, it’s important to reflect on what it means to be an Eagle Scout. The 1938 Handbook for Scoutmasters put it this way:

The badges which accompany his advancement and which the Scout wears on his Uniform are not to show that he has “passed certain tests.” There should be no past tense implied! On the contrary, each badge cries out, “I can, right here and now!

So what can an Eagle Scout do? Let’s take a look at some of the things Christopher has done in preparing to be an Eagle Scout.

In terms of badges, he has earned the Scout badge and the ranks of Tenderfoot, 2ndClass, 1st Class, Star, Life and finally Eagle. Along the way, he earned 12 required merit badges and nine elective merit badges, served in troop leadership positions far beyond the minimum of 16 months and worked more than 12 hours on service projects, not including the many hours he spent on his Eagle Scout service project. In all, he has completed about 325 different requirements.

So what have these requirements taught him? What is an Eagle Scout?

First and foremost, of course, he is an outdoorsman. He knows how to camp, swim, hike, use woodsman tools, build a fire and find his way with a map and compass. He’s spent at least 20 days and nights camping out in a tent he has pitched on a site he has selected. Many of those times he planned his own menu and cooked his own food.

An Eagle Scout is comfortable with nature. He can identify local animals and plants, including poisonous ones. He understands the causes of water, land and air pollution. He’s spent 8 hours studying a 10-acre plot of land and has reported what he saw.

He embodies the Scout motto, “Be Prepared.” He knows how to treat fractures, head injuries, hypothermia, convulsions, frostbite, burns, abdominal pain, muscle cramps – even knocked-out teeth. He knows what to do for fires, explosions, desert emergencies, motor vehicle accidents, mountain accidents, food poisoning, gas leaks, earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, atomic emergencies and avalanches.

An Eagle Scout is a good citizen. He’s been to a city council meeting and knows how the city government is organized. He’s studied the city budget. He know who his US Senators and Representative are and has written a letter to one of them. He’s read the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution.

He knows how to manage his money and understands the benefits of putting his money in savings bonds, mutual funds or common stock. He can find foreign-currency exchange rates in the newspaper.

He’s a good family member. He knows what things are important to the members of his family and has talked to his family about finances, drug abuse and growing up. He’s done a safety inspection of his home and reviewed his family’s escape plans.

All of these things he did in order to earn the merit badges required for Eagle. Beyond those, he earned nine elective merit badges, which introduced him to subjects such as Canoeing, Cooking, Forestry, Geology and Cinematography. He knows how to swamp a canoe ... and recover it. He knows how to plan a menu and serve a meal for his patrol. He knows how to identify trees, when different kinds of rocks got made, and how to tell a story.

So what is an Eagle Scout? Well to quote that old Handbook for Scoutmasters again, he is a young man “who is qualified to help others as well as take care of himself.” His badge is not “a decoration, but rather a symbol of knowledge and ability.”

1. Assistant Scoutmaster, Troop 2
2. Cubmaster, Pack 2

1. Henry & Velda Mowry, parents
2. Paul & Mary Chucalo (CHUCK uh low), Grandparents from Belleville, IL
3. Letha Mowry, Grandparent from Maryville, MO
4. Steve & Elizabeth Harbstreit (HARB stright), Uncle & Aunt, on their honeymoon, from Manhattan, KS
5. Betty Moates, family friend, from San Jose, CA

1. Introduce Mr. Hugh Travis, Scout Executive of the Western Los Angeles County Council
   1. Top Professional Scouter in our council
   2. Eagle Scout
2. Mr. Travis speaks
3. Introduce Mr. Jerry Burns, District Executive from Bill Hart District
   1. Professional Scouter serving in the Bill Hart District
4. Mr. Burns speaks

1. Served as Scoutmaster 1979 - 1998, Troop 2
2. Miles & miles of Backpacking ... 2,000 + ???
3. Under his leadership, 63 young men became Eagle Scouts in Troop 2
4. Under his leadership, the Troop grew from just 10 boys to over 140 Scouts
5. Given the honorary title of Scoutmaster Emeritus

1. Youth Pastor, Cornerstone Church

When I was asked to speak at this ceremony commemorating Chris' earning of the Eagle Scout award I decided to do a little research. I did this because I wanted to know everything that I could about his accomplishment and the steps that he had taken to get there and plus I didn't want to make a fool of myself either. Well as I read various books and looked at different Web sites I stumbled across a fact that amazed me and it was this, "only 2.5 percent of all Boy Scouts moved though the ranks to become Eagle Scouts." Why? That was the first question that came to my head. I mean, when I think of a Boy Scout I think of someone who is dedicated, loyal and brave. Someone who will always be prepared and represents the ideal young man. Someone who would naturally achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. Then I thought well maybe I was wrong, maybe I have a distorted image and I am expecting too much from these young men. But than I realized what it was, what it was that separated Chris from the 97 other scouts that he started with back as a Tenderfoot. It came down to this, Chris made a promise (a Scout promise to be exact) and he did something that helped him achieve this Eagle Scout rank and he did something that will forever change the cause of his life, he kept that promise Let me repeat that one more time, HE KEPT THAT PROMISE, and that is what has separated him from the 97 other well intentioned, devoted, respectable young men. And that is what will separate him in life from 97 other well intentioned, devoted and respectable fathers, friends and businessmen,

So what is this promise that he has kept, It is this, that "on his honor he will do his best to do has duty to God and his country and to obey the Scout law; to help other people at all times, to keep himself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight." Now that is a mouthful and certainly gives the Scout plenty to do in his freetime but is there a way of simplifying it Is there some way that everything in this promise could be kept by doing just one thing, Yes, I think there is, and that's why I asked the question fit the first place. I believe we find the answer in Proverbs 3:5‑6 where it says that we are to "trust in God with all of our heart and not to lean on our own understanding but that in all our ways we should look to Him and that He Will direct our paths." See God is the creator of all things and he knows what is pure and just and right. So if Chris had hoped to have kept the Scout promise he could have tried to keep a list of all 21 things that he would have needed to do or he could have just followed God with everything that he had and in so doing he would have accomplished everything written down in this promise. Well I am here to say that Chris has done the second. He has chosen to follow God with everything that he has and in so doing he has kept his promise. A promise which has changed his life and in time will change the lives of many around him.

So it is with great pleasure that I am here tonight to see the deserved award of Eagle Scout bestowed upon my friend, Chris Mowry. Now I just want to address Chris directly and remind him That the glory of this award is not in the patch that will go on his chest or on the paper that will go on his wall, but it is in the recognition of the spirit that already resides within his heart, fire spirit of an eagle. For even young men get tired and weary and they stumble and fall, but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength they will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not get weary, they will walk and not faint. Chris, you* have kept the promise, now keep the promise and let your life soar as you keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and the finisher of your faith.

1. Introduce Mr. Mark Seamands
   1. Joined Troop 2 in 1991 with his son Scott.
   2. Mr. Seamands has served in a variety of District positions, including District Commissioner, High Adventure Team District Chairman, and a member of the Boy Scout training team.
   3. Mr. Seamands’ son Scott earned the rank of Eagle in 1996.
   4. Mr. Seamands has served as the Scoutmaster of Troop 2 since 1998.
2. Mr. Seamands speaks
3. Recognitions:
   1. Flag flown over US Capitol
   2. Letters from President Bush & Ford. President Ford was himself an Eagle Scout
   3. Letter from Governor Davis
   4. Letters from both US Senators, Diane Feinstein and Barbara Boxer
   5. Letter from our US Representative, Buck McKeon
   6. Letters from California Representative Pete McKnight, LA County Supervisor Mike Antonovich (NICE certificate!), and the City of Santa Clarita
4. Presentations & Salutations: Mr. Hull

Christopher, as our Court of Honor began tonight, you joined with your fellow Scouts in repeating the Scout Oath. Now, you will stand alone and repeat a new oath, the Eagle Scout Promise. Though the words you say are similar to those you’ve said so many times, tonight they will mean more to you than they ever have. When you pledge yourself on your sacred honor, you will be sealing your oath with the words which closed the Declaration of Independence.

I’d like all Eagle Scouts at our Campfire to stand up in place at this time and rededicate themselves by repeating the Eagle Scout Promise with our new Eagle Scout.

Please make the Scout sign and repeat after me:

I reaffirm my allegiance
To the three promises of the Scout Oath.
I thoughtfully recognize
And take upon myself
The obligations and responsibilities
Of an Eagle Scout.
On my honor I will do my best
To make my training and example
My rank and my influence
Count strongly for better Scouting
And for better citizenship
In my troop,
In my community,
And in my contacts with other people
To this I pledge my sacred honor.

Two. Please be seated.

• INTRODUCE PASTOR JEFF STEELE FOR BENEDICTION