In addition to distinguishing the recipient, this Eagle Scout award is boosting the credentials of Boy Scout Troop 83 in Kenilworth.

Richard Tiemann, 16, of Thoreau Terrace, will be the first member in the five-year history of the revived troop to earn Scouting’s highest honor.

On Sunday, the troop based at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2230 will conduct an Eagle Court of Honor, conferring on Tiemann the rank he earned at a board of review last March.

Troop 83 is headed by John Kozac, who restarted the troop after it ceased operations at St. Theresa’s Church in the early 1990s. St. Theresa’s maintains a Cub Scout pack, of which Tiemann was a member for four years.

To attain the rank of Eagle Scout, Tiemann completed a community service project in which he improved hiking trails at the Wat chung Reservation.

“My troop camps out a lot in Watchung Reservation, and we hike there a lot,” he said. “I noticed the trails were not in the best condition, so I went to the (Union County) parks department and ar ranged to fix them up.”

Tiemann performed major re mediation of erosion along the trails, said his father, Mark, the troop’s assistant Scoutmaster. The work included building a flight of steps along a steep section of trail, and installing water bars and drainage ditches to curtail further erosion.

In addition to that project, Tie mann earned 21 merit badges and served in leadership positions with his 12-member troop.

“He’s a dedicated young man,” said Robert Jeans Sr., commander of the sponsoring VFW post. “He has a good understanding as to the purpose of the Boy Scouts: leader ship and community service.”

Tiemann is a junior at Union Catholic Regional High School in Scotch Plains. He has helped build sets for school plays, and competes in the discus on the track and field team. He also is a second-degree black belt, and a certified open- water and deep-water scuba diver.

Tiemann is active with St. Theresa’s CYO, having participated in Easter missions rebuilding houses in West Virginia with Habitat for Humanity and at Helping Hands events benefiting mentally and physically challenged individuals. Also, he is an altar server at St. Theresa’s.

Among his goals are to attain Boy Scout certification as a lifeguard as well as in snorkeling, and to become an emergency medical technician.

“I wouldn’t doubt that a bit,” Rich Donovan, youth minister at St. Theresa’s, said of Tiemann as piring to be an EMT. “He is always wanting to help people, to be of service.

“Rich is the type of kid who will do anything you want him to do,” added Donovan. “I can say ‘Take out the garbage’ or ‘Help those kids’ and he does it. He’s done everything from fundraisers at the parish to helping out with events.”

Tiemann will receive the Eagle Scout award during a 2:30 p.m. ceremony in the John F. Kennedy Room at the Kenilworth Veterans Center. In addition, the VFW post will present him with a plaque, certificate and uniform shoulder patch.

“We’ve been sponsoring the troop for the better part of five years,’” said Jeans. “This is the first boy to make the Eagle Scout grade, and we’re extremely proud of him at Post 2230. We’re proud of the whole troop. We believe in the boys, and we believe in the Scout ing program.”

Source: http://www.nj.com/starledger/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1224650347218730.xml&coll=1

Scouting Activities in Underserved Areas to Benefit from Share of Proceeds

DALLAS, October 16, 2008—President Bush recently signed into law the Boy Scouts of America Centennial Commemorative Coin Act (H.R. 5872) which authorizes the minting of 350,000 silver dollar coins in recognition of BSA’s 100th Anniversary in 2010. Only two commemorative coins are selected for U.S. Mint production each year, and minting of the coins for 2010 will occur between February 8, 2010 and January 1, 2011. For each coin sold, there is a $10 surcharge – representing a $3,500,000 donation – that will be made available to local councils in the form of grants for the extension of Scouting in hard to serve areas.

The Boy Scouts of America was founded on February 8, 1910. Since then more than 111 million youth have participated in Scouting’s traditional programs, including 248 members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. In the past four years alone, Scouting youth and their leaders have volunteered more than 6,500,000 hours of service in their communities through more than 75,000 service projects.

“It is a great honor for the Scouts to be recognized with this Centennial Commemorative coin. We thank the President, the House and the Senate, especially Congressman Sessions and Senator Sessions for their support,” said Bob Mazzuca, Chief Scout Executive, Boy Scouts of America. This is a treasured moment in the history of our organization and we are grateful for the millions of Scouts and volunteers who have served as the foundation of our success for nearly 100 years.”

The act received strong bipartisan support from both the House and the Senate. Introduced earlier this year to Congress by Congressman Pete Sessions (R-TX), an Eagle Scout with four generations of Boy Scouts in his family, the act received overwhelming approval with 403 Members of Congress voting for it. “Boy Scouts are a significant part of American culture, shaping the values, citizenship, and skills of millions of young men,” Congressman Pete Sessions stated. “From conservation to character building, the Boy Scouts 100th Anniversary celebrates the highest Scouting ideals of helping others and making communities stronger.”

Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), who also is an Eagle Scout, was the Senate sponsor of this legislation, which passed by unanimous consent on September 27, 2008. “I am pleased that the Senate has approved this legislation to mint a commemorative coin celebrating an important mark in the Boy Scouts history. Scouting has been a positive influence on millions of young men across the country,” said Senator Sessions.

H.R. 5872 legislation states that the commemorative coin must be “emblematic of the 100 years of the largest youth organization in the United States, the Boy Scouts of America.” The act also outlines other design mandates of the silver dollar including that it must show its designated value, the year 2010 and have inscriptions of the words “Liberty”, “In God We Trust”, and “E Pluribus Unum”. The coin will weigh 26.73 grams, have a diameter of 1.5 inches and contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper. The design will be selected by the Secretary of the Treasury after consultation with Chief Scout Executive Bob Mazucca and the Commission of Fine Arts. The selected coin design will also be reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.

Earlier this year, the Boy Scouts of America kicked off a multi-year 100th Anniversary celebration. Over the next two years, BSA will reintroduce to America the contributions Scouting makes in communities across the country and the positive impact Scouting has on millions of young lives. The 100th Anniversary celebration will include major national events, activities, and initiatives to engage nearly 3 million youth and 1.2 million volunteers; an estimated 50 million Scouting alumni; and the general public.

About the Boy Scouts of America
Serving nearly 4.7 million young people between 7 and 20 years of age with more than 300 councils throughout the United States and its territories, the Boy Scouts of America is the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training.

Oct 15, 2008

Courtesy of the Boy Scouts of America Heart of VA Council

Cub Scout Michael Klotz received the Boy Scouts of America National Medal of Merit at a special ceremony held September 25 at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Midlothian.  The Medal of Merit is given to a member of the Boy Scouts of America, as recommended by the organization’s National Court of Honor, to those Scouts who perform an act of service of a rare or exceptional character in the saving or attempt to save a life.  The Cub Scout is a member of Pack 893, chartered by the church.

In April 2007, Michael, then an 8-year-old Bear Cub Scout, was playing with two friends in his home when they heard Michael’s mother, Diane, call for help.  The three children found her unconscious. Michael knew that his mother had diabetes, and he suspected she was experiencing insulin shock.  He coordinated efforts to confirm the signs of diabetic shock according to his training, and directed his two friends in obtaining the necessary items needed for her revival, including a glucose testing kit, emergency glucose tablets, cool and damp cloths, sweetened drink and a telephone to call for help.

Next, Michael confirmed that his mother was in diabetic shock, tested her blood sugar and discovered a reading of 23. He took action to treat her with the glucose tablets that he placed in her mouth.  As Mrs. Klotz regained consciousness, Michael transitioned treatment to the sugar sweetened drinks, at which time his father arrived home from work.  Diane told Fred that the insulin shock came on so suddenly and all she remembered was calling out for help.  She is convinced that the quick actions of Michael, and his two friends, saved her life.

“It is a special day for all Adult Scouts when everything we hope for comes together, and we receive a glimpse of the kind of adults that our children are destined to become,” said John Pitts, Webelos Den leader, Pack 893.

“We as leaders celebrate with the Klotz family that Michael performed well when called to do a Scouting’s “Good Turn” in a practical way. Although we may never be in a situation to rescue our own parent, each of us can be sure to honor those who shaped us if we reflect daily on the very practical measures of integrity outlined by the Scout Law.

Michael is a Cub Scout in the Heart of Virginia Council, which supports Scouting programs for 19,000 youth in 24 counties of Central Virginia.