European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 10, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday. September 10, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 9 Over Here i Mii i proud status few achieve Eagle scout by Pam Runquist staff writer during the Long hot Days of summer in West Germany most 14-year-Olds can be found hanging out at the Pool playing basketball with friends or maybe bagging groceries at the nearest commissary. Not Brian Thornton. He spent his summer vacation planning and directing cosmic Capers a Reading pro Gram for children in kindergarten through the sixth Grade in the Karlsruhe military Community. As the Reading program and summer vacation Drew to an end Brian was rewarded with the smiling faces of his pupils As they received their Reading prizes at smile Library on Smiley Barracks. But Brian also went Home with his own personal Reward. He had completed his Eagle scout service project the final requirement for scouts seeking to become an Eagle scout. The rank is an Honor reserved for a select few. Only 2.5 percent of All boy scouts nationwide be come Eagle scouts. And according to the transatlantic Council of the boy scouts of America about 125 of the estimated 6,000 boy scouts in Europe become Eagle scouts each year. One Hundred have earned the rank in 1989.for some scouts becoming an Eagle scout is a family tradition. Peter Stokes 18, a scout from Augsburg who recently earned the Eagle scout rank says his older brother and Grandfather who Are both Eagle scouts were an inspiration. For others it s a status Symbol among friends. I be wanted to get my Eagle scout award for a Long time. My Friend Jimmy Dymarco just got his and my other in and. Joey Francks. Will be getting his soon says Jonathan Duncan. 16, a boy scout from a Limburg who Hopes to reach the Eagle scout rank by december. Whatever the motivation All scouts say that earn ing the rank is  takes a lot of work More than 1 thought says Duncan s Friend Joey Francks. But it s Worth it. I be wanted to be an Eagle scout since i was a cub  Francks 16, recently renovated the playground at Hohrn fils elementary school for his service project. Requirements for the Eagle scout have changed very Little since i got my award says William Kava laugh a retired army colonel who earned his Eagle scout rank in 1946. The standards for Eagle scouts have always been  progression from the Novice rank of attn Der  Jeremy Nix 16 his Mother Faye and volunteers pre pare fliers and Organ donor cards for distribution at the Hallerberg housing area in Wiesbaden As part of the youth s Eagle scout project. For ass. Paula Baldwin Brian Thornton 14. Leads a cosmic Capers session for Kinder partners at Smiley Barracks in Karlsruhe. Fool scout up to the level of Eagle scout is a process familiar to All boy . Boy souls Musl spend a certain amount of time at each of the five ranks below the Eagle level. During this time they must hold at Lea Stone leadership position and preferably several in their  arc required to earn skill awards in 12 differ ent areas including first Aid camping and  also have to Complete at least 21 Mcrill badges. The final step is the Eagle scout scr acc project. Souls work on the Basic skill awards during their first few months of i hair scouting career. Then when they reach the rank of first class two above tender foot they usually begin earning their Merit badges. Eleven of the Mcrill badges arc required including some of the More difficult ones such As those for citizenship and for Community safety and Environ mental science. The remaining badges arc chose from the approximately 120 badges available. The options cover activities As diverse As swimming Knol lying and the study of reptiles. The hardest Merit badge for me was Environ mental science says Matt Sallie a 14-year-old from Stuttgart. I had to spend at Casl four hours a Day for five Days while i was Al summer Camp Oul in the Woods. Then i had to write a 500-word essay to Lell my Merit badge Counselor what i Learned. Thai was the hardest  is collecting used books to donate to clinics in the slut Gart area for his service project. My favorite Merit badge was personal manage ment says match cd Moscowitz 14. A boy Seoul from Hanau who has finished All his Eagle Seoul require meals and Hopes to put on the rank sometime this fall. I had to keep track of my own Money for three Mon hand Ihen give a report to my scout Masler. La really helped me to icam How to budget my  Many scouts go beyond earning the required 21 Meril badges. Karslon Anderson. 15, a Seoul from Chin main a has completed 86 Merit badges and even though he has earned the Eagle scout rank plans to keep on going. I want to try and earn them Mcrill badges All in i can. I have to slay ahead of my older  Karston s brother Keishaan 17. Also an Eagle scout has 85 Merit  the Merit badges Are completed the most Chaj longing part of the Job still lies ahead the service  Possi Bililis for projects Are endless. Jeremy Nix for example recently organized an Organ donor card distribution in the Wiesbaden com manily. In was a Lime consuming Lask. First 1 had to come up with an idea for the project and Ihnn gel in approved by my troop committee and my scoutmaster the 16-year-old said. That took a couple weeks."1 worked with Fred Egeler at Lindsay air Sta Tion Public affairs to get All the information fliers and donor cards for the project. I also had to get people to Volunteer to help me but it was t too hard to recruit volunteers from my Church my troop and some cub  Jeremy and several volunteers handed out 2,500 cards at the Wiesbaden Exchange one saturday an then spent the following weekend handing out about 1,000 donor cards in the Haine Berg housing  a service project is under Way. Though the work is Only half done. A scout still must write a it takes a lot of work More than i thought. But it s Worth it. I be wanted to be an Eagle scout since i was a cub  Joey Francks report on the results of his project and present it to a group of scout  of the hardest parts was writing up my project and getting it approved says Jimmy Cenc. The 15-year-old scout from Vilsick renovated the playground at Vilseck s Chapel for his Eagle scout service project. I had to present it to my Board of review and that took at least half an hour. I was really nervous he said. After the project is approved by the scout s Board of review the Eagle scout award is within reach. All the scout has to do is wait for the mail. But that wait can Lake , records of the Eagle candidate s achievements Are sent to the transatlantic Council in Mannheim for approval. Then they arc forwarded to the slates for final approval from the boy scouts of  can Lake up to 10 to 12 weeks says Keene. Who Hopes to have his Packel Back by the end of october. Finally the scout receives his approved package and can assume the rank of Eagle Seoul. The rank is officially awarded during a court of Honor a Cere Mony organized by the scout s troop to recognize All his scouting  who have pinned the Eagle Emblem onto their uniforms have a Way of staying with scouting even though Iacre arc no other other ranks to attain once an Eagle scout always an Eagle scout. That s our  says maj. Joe Pavlick. Director of the North Star District of the National Eagle scout association. Most Eagle scouts continue to slay involved in scouting we Cher As troop leaders men badge Counselor or adult  _ _. There Are 180 Eagle Seoul alumni in our District association and All Are involved with scouts in some Wai Crishan Anderson is one of those Eagle scouts who is ready to give something Back to scouting. Once i turn 18,1 m no longer officially a boy scout but 1 want 10 keep working with scouts. I Hope i can be a troop Leader