Last Saturday, Nov. 1, I had the pleasure of meeting 17-year-old Eagle Scout Alex Gregory, who lives in the Almaden Valley. Becoming an Eagle Scout is not an easy process. A person who is seeking this honor must have dedication and perseverance. Only about 4 percent of Boy Scouts exceed expectations and achieve the high level of Eagle Scout.
To become an Eagle Scout, the scout must choose a project to share with the community. Alex chose to build a Veterans Memorial. He decided to create this Memorial at his church, St. Christopher’s in Willow Glen. Alex replaced the church’s flagpole and surrounded it with one-ton pieces of granite. He had every parishioner’s name who had served or is still serving in the military carved into the stone. Two hundred sixty St. Christopher’s parishioners have served in the military. Alex also solicited the $20,000 needed to cover the cost of the project. It is an impressive feat for a young man. I had the honor of presenting a Commendation from the Mayor and I to Alex.
I was also impressed with the 200 or so people who showed up in the rain for the unveiling of the memorial. Both old and young were present, including many family members of those who served in the military. This memorial is located in the parking lot of St Christopher’s, and is open to the public.
There will be a veteran’s parade in Downtown San Jose on Tuesday, Nov. 11, at 11:30am. It means a lot to the veteran’s if people come and show support, so come if you are able to attend, enjoy a parade, and have lunch Downtown.
Thank you for writing such a wonderful column Pier. It is nice to know that our young people understand the sacrifices these honorable men and women have and are making for our country. To all of you who served us in the military, and are serving us now, THANK YOU! We deeply appreciate you! God Bless and keep you safe.
Good on ya Pier. *Great* column.
The VETERANS PARADE route is Market st. Southbound from W.Santa Clara st to W. San Carlos. I believe that it is the third largest parade in California. Bring all the little kids they will love it. Many high school bands, lots of organizations and of course hundreds and hundreds of veterans from wwII, Korea, Viet Nam and Iraq will be marching…..
BE THERE AND SHOW SUPPORT
Hopefully this is a sign of the new generations treating their vets with better respect than in the ‘60s and ‘70s.
Only one in four boys in America will become a Scout, yet of the leaders of this nation in business, religion and politics, three of four were Scouts
Only 2% of Boy Scouts achieve the rank of Eagle.
Nearly 60% of the 110th Congress of the United States participated in Scouting:
http://www.scouting.org/Media/FactSheets/02-571.aspx
Alex has great company in his quest to become an Eagle Scout. He has a great future in front of him.
Alex does have a great future in Scouting—as long as he is not gay. They don’t like that, regardless of how skilled or talented they may be.
Alex is a very special person. After graduating from Bellarmine, he wishes to join the navy following in his grandfather’s footsteps who served in the Navy in WWII. This young man serves as an alter boy every Sunday at the 6:30 am mass and has the most infectious smile. He is a teenager that we all can be proud of. We were there at the ceremony and brought my brother who also served in the navy in WWII and will be 91 the 25th of this month. His name as well as a sister and another brother’s name are on the wall having served in WWII. God bless all our veterans.
He’s a Bell? Even better. Good luck to the man [for others].
6: Ironically, Bellarmine (a Catholic institution) is far more accepting of homosexuals than the scouts or military. They have a gay-straight alliance on campus and students were open to coming out to their peers without persecution.
It is traditional that the Executive Board of the Boy Scouts selects the President of the United States to the Honorary President of the Boy Scouts of America.
Every President since William Taft has eccepted the position, and we hope President-elect Barack Obama does the same.
While there were reports that President-elect Barack Obama was involved with Scouting as a youth, it wasn’t with the Boy Scouts of America, but rather with the Gerakan Pramuka (the national Scouting organization of Indonesia).
VP-elect Joe Biden was a Scout and a Scout Leader.
These two leaders know the value of scouting in young men lives. We see it here with ALex Gregory.