Local Scouts earn Eagle

RATHDRUM – Rathdrum’s Boy Scout Troop 216 is beating the national average. Although only 4 percent of Scouts nationally become Eagle Scouts, the local group is full of young men determined to wear the coveted award.

In a July 16 ceremony, Aaron Clawson, son of Mike and Cindy Clawson, became the first of three young men to earn the rank of Eagle Scout in Troop 216 this year. To make the ceremony even more special, Clawson’s uncle, the highest-ranking Boy Scout official in America, chief Scouting executive Robert Mazzuca, attended the event to congratulate his nephew and to keep a promise he had made to him many years ago.

Mazzuca said he promised Clawson that he would be there if he ever earned the Eagle Scout award, and he made sure his busy schedule included his first trip to North Idaho to welcome him to the elite group.

Following presentation of his certificate and pin, Clawson thanked his parents and his leaders before naming his uncle as his “mentor,” saying, “You’ve shown you can rise from the very bottom to the top. You’ve gone from a Cub Scout all the way to chief executive. You are a true inspiration to us all.”

According to Troop 216 Committee Chairman Dan Tesulov, having Mazzuca attend was “like having the president come.” Having been recently appointed to his position, Mazzuka travels around the world, overseeing the organization’s 3 million Scouts, and 1 million leaders. “The fact that he took time to come to Aaron’s Eagle Honor Ceremony is a pretty big deal,” Tesulov said.

Clawson, 18, is a graduate of Lakeland High School. He has been in Scouts since first grade and says he likes to go camping, and enjoys the teamwork Scouting offers. Clawson installed a bench and a bike rack in the teacher’s parking lot at Lakeland Senior High School, for his Eagle project.

Brian Hannibal, son of Toni and Lee Hannibal, recently completed his Eagle project and is awaiting final notification of his award. Hannibal, a senior at Lakeland High, and has been a Scout for 11 years. He says working with other Scouts is his favorite thing, and he enjoys being part of a team.

Hannibal is proud of the leadership skills he has gained and says it will be tough when he has to leave the troop because he is 18. Building large folding cabinets for the Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Preschool, a nonprofit preschool, was Hannibal’s Eagle project. His older brother, James, is also an Eagle Scout.

Nick Caswell, 17, is just finishing up his Eagle Scout project. He hopes to hold his ceremony by early fall and is looking forward to the possibility of holding a joint ceremony with his friend and neighbor, Hannibal. Caswell, the son of Chuck and Sue Caswell, has been a Scout for more than six years and says his favorite thing to do is “be in the wilderness with friends and have a good time learning about the environment.” And, he added, “I really learned how to start fires really well.”

Caswell’s Eagle Scout project is to build baseball organization cabinets for the dugouts in the new baseball field by John Brown Elementary School. The boxes will be mounted on nearby fences for helmets, bats and balls for use during games. “The cupboards will promote a cleaner dugout and extend the life of the equipment,” said Caswell.

All three Scouts say having their parents involved in Scouting was beneficial to them and believe being an Eagle Scout will be important to their future. It will stand as proof they know how to work with others and that they know what it means to be part of a team. According to Caswell “Being an Eagle Scout will look good on a resume. It will show an employer I have good leadership skills and know what it is like to work as a team.”

During Clawson’s ceremony, Mazzuca said becoming an Eagle Scout puts you in an elite group. “You have the responsibility and ownership for life, and people will expect more from you, now that you’re an Eagle Scout. Once an Eagle, always an Eagle!”

According to Tesulov, the number of Eagle Scouts is so high because of leader Toni Hannibal. “She is the single force in reviving the troop and keeping it going,” he said.

Tesulov said Hannibal encouraged parental involvement and kept the kids together, resulting in a huge percentage of Scouts doing the progressive work needed to become an Eagle Scout.

“One Scout received the award last year, and three more Scouts should reach the Eagle Scout award next year,” Tesulov said.

And with a new group of boys moving up to boy Scouts in February, Tesulov foresees a steady supply of Eagles for Rathdrum.