New Eagle Scout Thanks Troop Sponsors
DongHeon (Brian) Yi was an enthusiastic 11-year-old Scout when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that it would no longer charter Scouting units as part of its youth program. Brian, who had just earned his Arrow of Light, was too young to complete his goal of Eagle Scout with his current troop in northern California before it no longer existed. But thanks to a group of dedicated Scouting volunteers and a generous sponsor who became the charter partner, Brian’s Scouting experience continued in new Troop 947 in the Golden Gate Area Council.
Recently, following a long delay due to COVID, an Eagle Court of Honor was held and Brian received his long-awaited patch, badge, and certificate. It was a joyous occasion attended by many family and friends—including his grandfather who watched the proceedings on Zoom from South Korea.
Brian is an outstanding young man who also excels in music as a talented violin player. His interests include Taekwondo (black belt), golf, debate, robotics, and math. For his Eagle Project, Brian renovated the Bee & Butterfly Garden at a community park. He led a group of 43 people to execute the project, assigned team leaders to take on each group, and guided the overall success to remove hazards, replace all of the old planter boxes and add new ones.
Following the court of honor, Brian wrote a heartfelt thank you note to those men and women who organized the new troop in his area. He said, “Thank you for all you have done throughout my Scouting experience. Thank you for organizing Troop 947 so I could continue in Scouts. This is one of the things that changed my view on whether I could achieve the rank of Eagle. You have been a good example of the Scout Motto and Slogan. I learned from what you did.”
Brian has set goals in the Church’s Children and Youth Program. He finds that many of the things he does in Scouting also help him achieve his goals in the Church program. His leadership experience as a patrol leader in the troop has proven valuable to his current and future leadership roles in the Church.
Are there Latter-day Saint youth in your area who would benefit from having a troop or pack with leaders who share their faith, testimony, and values? Could YOU be the one to make the difference? Do YOU own a company or belong to a service organization that might be willing to sponsor a new unit? For ideas and guidance on how to start or help with a unit in your area, check out the videos from the 2021 Vanguard Virtual Philmont broadcast as well as our 2020 Virtual Little Philmont.
To find an existing unit in your area, enter your zip code at https://beascout.scouting.org/
– Roma Bishop, Vanguard Operations Committee