Our oldest grandson Christopher received his Eagle Scout rank at an Eagle Court of Honor on Saturday afternoon. This is quite an achievement. Of all the boys in the U.S. who start into scouting, only 1% stick with it long enough to achieve the rank of Eagle. It’s a lot of work for both the young man as well as his parents. That’s one of the reasons, I’m sure, why reaching an Eagle in scouting is an accomplishment that will have meaning for the rest of their lives. It opens doors that otherwise might stay closed and provides opportunity that otherwise might remain hidden.

Young men in the Church who earn their Eagle rank are overwhelmingly likely to fill an honorable mission, marry in the temple, and stay active in the Church the rest of their lives. Their sons are also much more likely to take scouting seriously and achieve Eagle themselves.

Nina and I drove down on Saturday morning taking my mom and dad with us. Dad had an eye appointment in Salt Lake City on the way down, so their going with us was quite convenient. The Court of Honor was at 4 in the afternoon followed by a turkey dinner back at the house. We then drove back to Pocatello and got home about 10:30 p.m. It was a long day but well worth the effort. Christopher, congratulations on a job well done.

There were two other young men who received their Eagle rank at the same court of honor. They are all three within a month of being the same age — they all have their birthdays in December. Sometimes working together along with a little healthy competition helps the young men keep moving along. All three of these young men finished up their requirements before their 14th birthday. It then took five months to get through all of the boards of review and get all the paperwork completed.

Meanwhile, I’m working at getting back into the Pocatello time zone. The jet lag turnaround can be quite difficult, particularly when coming back from Manila or Singapore. It’s about 7:45 p.m. and I’m really dragging! I was hoping with a good night’s sleep last night that I would finally turn the corner. Looks like it’ll take at least one more good night’s sleep.