It’s not often that I see a newspaper column about Scouting that’s written right from our playbook, but I think this one from the Charlotte Observer is among those that fit the bill—what a terrific headline: “Eagle Scouts are a big benefit to communities”

And I love how the column opens—along with a little Frank Capra nostalgia: “According to an old movie, every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings. I propose this truth: Every time a Boy Scout becomes an Eagle, his community benefits.”

This is exactly what we are trying to tell America about how we are getting our Scouts Prepared. For Life.™ and the impact Scouting has on communities.

This column shares the story of 16-year-old Stephen Hartsell of Midland, North Carolina, a new Eagle Scout in Troop 202. The column started out as a feature about Stephen’s Eagle Scout project—a new basketball court for the church where his troop is chartered—but the article’s focus soon became more about “the tremendous effect Scouting has had on his life.”

I’ll let the column tell you more about Stephen’s love for Scouting and his life goals, but I was particularly inspired by this observation from the columnist about Scouting’s Eagle Scout rank:

“ … A lot of good things get done thanks to young men working toward that lofty goal.”

We often speak about the record number of Eagle Scouts we’ve seen year after year, and our eagerness to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Eagle Scout rank coming up in 2012. But, behind the facts and figures and dates and anniversaries, it’s important to remember how critical Scouting is to the communities we support, and how our Eagle Scouts set the agenda for building our future leaders.

Leaders like Stephen Hartsell help make great things possible. His story, and those of other Eagle Scouts, paves the way for generations of Scouts to grow into fine young men and to be great contributors to their communities. This is how a quality Scouting experience helps build a sustainable future for our organization.

I know there are more great Eagle Scout stories out there—share them here!

Thanks,

Bob