A Flock of Eagles

It was my pleasure today to attend Alex Miller's Eagle Scout Court of Honor at our very own Community Congregational Church. Alex is a member of Elburn's Boy Scout Troop 7 that has been developing and honoring Eagle Scouts in Elburn for 81 years. This troop tradition has continued to thrive, along with the support of the Congregational Church as Troop 7's sole continuous sponsor. That's quite a record of accomplishment for everyone connected with Troop 7 including the church, the adult leaders, the boy scouts themselves and their parents.

Alex Miller's Eagle Scout project was a substantial one. He and his team of adults and younger scouts installed four park benches onto concrete pads at Elburn's M60-A3 Battle Tank Veterans Memorial. Two decisions related to his project were particularly worrisome. What was the best color to choose for the benches so that they would complement the memorial? Also, where were the exact locations for the benches to be installed that would enhance the memorial's appearance? The solutions chosen after careful consideration of both of these dilemmas turned out great. The benches absolutely do enhance the memorial's design, as we had all hoped that they would.

The Village of Elburn has had so many excellent Eagle Scout projects over the years that it is a challenge to recall them all. Our village has seen landscape, prairies and trees planted, welcome signs enhanced, wooden bridges water-proofed, flag poles and fences painted, blood drives conducted, and brick pavers installed. And, these are just the projects completed on behalf of our village. Other organizations that have benefited from Troop 7 Eagle Scout projects include our Town & Country Library, the Fox Valley Wildlife Center, and Waubonsee Community College to name a few.

Additionally, I believe there is an Eagle Scout project idea being considered right now that involves Keslinger Road and Elburn's historic connection to the Lincoln Highway. I don't want to give the project idea away yet, but it has all the makings of another super Eagle Scout project for Elburn.

At one of our recent committee meetings Trustee Craig Swan remarked that "Our village has never had a bad Eagle Scout project. They have all represented positive additions to our community." I agree with Craig. I believe that every dollar we invest in these projects as a village is a dollar well spent on the youth of our community. These young men are destined to become our future leaders, and they will remember for the rest of their lives the community that helped them along their path to Eagle Scout. As the saying goes, the trail to Eagle never ends, and we expect great things from these top notch scouts in the future.

It almost goes without saying that Elburn Troop 7 is one of our finer community instituitions. As we honor Eagle Scout Alex Miller, let us continue to support the Boy Scouts of America, the Fox Valley's Three Fires Council and all they do building "better" young citizens for a "Better, not just Bigger" Elburn.

To conclude, I remember that when camping at the Mississippi Palisades State Park, our young scout patrols would usually spot a bald eagle circling alone in the sky. In the Village of Elburn, we are spoiled to find flocks of Eagle Scouts, and that is exactly the way we like it.

Also, for those of you prematurely signing me up for politically correct sensitivity training, I whole-heartedly support the Gold Award Program of the Girl Scouts of America.