To Soar Higher – Attending an Eagle Scout Court of Honor

I had the privilege last Saturday evening of attending my very first Eagle Scout Court of Honor. The ceremony was held for recent CVHS graduate and CV Weekly delivery person Adam Fiffles. In fact, as we proudly do with so many of our Scouts, we profiled him in the June 30 issue of the CV Weekly.

As you probably know, the rank of Eagle Scout is the highest that a Scout can achieve. It signifies a dedication by the recipient to the traditions and values of Scouting over his lifetime. One of the requirements that needs to be completed – and can actually stall a Scout’s progress – is the Eagle Scout leadership project. The project not only hones the Scout’s leadership skills, but it also benefits the community. The foothills boast many projects that were completed under the direction of an aspiring Eagle Scout and include several beautification projects in our public spaces.

On Saturday, I headed over to Verdugo Woodland’s Dad’s Club across the street from Verdugo Park, next to the fire station, where the ceremony was taking place.

The Fiffles family went all out for the celebration. The room was filled with tables complete with linens and flowers. At the back table on display was Adam’s little Cub Scout uniform shirt – so tiny compared to the young man he is now.

The stage had been decorated with a scene typical of Scouting – a night out camping. There was a tent erected, “trees” surrounding it, a laundry line with a uniform “drying,” and even the sound of crickets chirping. Midway through the reception, a screen was lowered and snapshots of Adam’s career in Scouting were shown.

When it was time for dinner – catered by Celebrations, Etc. – the chef proudly announced that he, too, was an Eagle Scout and felt honored to be a part of the event.

Taking the microphone for the program at the front of the stage were Scoutmaster Greg Schowengerdt and Constantine Boukidis. They reminded the audience and, for the fellow Scouts in the room, renewed the fundamentals of Scouting: duty to God and country; duty to others; duty to self.

Then a candle lighting ceremony took place. Twelve cold candles rigidly stood in holders on a table next to the podium. As each attribute was announced, a Scout in the room would approach, read the definition of the attribute and light the candle until all 12 brilliantly shone.

Trustworthy. Loyal. Helpful. Friendly. Courteous. Kind. Obedient. Cheerful. Thrifty. Brave. Clean. Reverent. Words that are as hard to come by as perhaps the attributes themselves. But these are not just words to these boys, but goals to attain, attitudes to display.

Achieving the rank of Eagle means to live with honor and understanding the responsibility of how one’s actions touch others … traits that I think we parents try to teach our children.

Friends and family had the opportunity to take the mic and speak a little about Adam and their relationship with him. It was evident that from Tenderfoot to Eagle, these people had the chance to see Adam’s character unfold, his leadership abilities develop and get a glimpse of the man he would become. He hugged every speaker in gratitude.
Adam’s mom passed away several years ago and a particularly solemn moment took place when Adam’s step-mom Robbyn pinned his Eagle Scout medal onto his uniform over his heart.
Finally, outfitted with his medal and neckerchief, Eagle Scout Adam Fiffles was presented to the audience.
The applause was deafening.

Robin Goldsworthy is the publisher of the Crescenta
Valley Weekly. She can be
reached at robin@cvweekly.com
or (818) 248-2740.

  robin goldsworthy