Later that year, he faced a last big hurdle: The aspiring Eagle must "plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project" helpful to a religious institution, a school or the community. Ehmann made slides of the stained-glass windows at St. Joe. He took the slides to the homes of housebound senior citizens, taking younger Scouts along. Some of the shut-ins were fascinated. Others were just happy for company. That was fine with Ehmann, then 15. His requirements were done three years early, and as far as he knew, it was up to a lone Scoutmaster to finish the paperwork. He didn't know how long the wait would be.
Birthday surprise
In the Ehmanns' split-level in Westminster, Ehmann's daughters - Jena, 23, an educator, and twins Rachel and Sarah, 19, students at Stevenson University - fuss over a dog just back from the vet. A placard reads "It's A Wonderful Life." With their dad at work, the young women and their mother are only too happy to recount how they duped him for his own good.
As Ehmann's 50th birthday approached last April, they wanted to plan something he'd never forget.
They ransacked his belongings for ideas. Out fell the baby rattles and yearbooks his mom had packed away - and finally, a theme took shape. A Boy Scout hat fell out. So did a sash and some patches. There were black-and-white photos of Troop 746, the kids' hair long and stringy in the '70s style. A plane ticket said "Destination: Albuquerque."
The more they talked, the more they realized how often Ehmann had mentioned that thing about the Eagle Scouts. "He never griped or said a bad word about Scouting," Sarah says. "It was just, 'Gee, I earned that; I didn't get it, though.' "
Then it hit Rachel: Why not contact the Boy Scouts, tell them the story, and get him named an honorary Eagle as a surprise? They didn't realize what tenderfeet they were.
No such thing
About 110 million boys have registered as Boy Scouts in 98 years, according to Legacy of Honor, a 2007 book by Alvin Townley. Fewer than 2 percent have made Eagle. The 20-plus merit badges, 16 months of troop leadership positions and dozens of hours in service projects weed out the half-hearted. The Ehmann women knew that, or thought they did. In February, they called national headquarters in Irving, Texas.
"There's no such thing as an honorary Eagle Scout," they were told. "You're an Eagle or you're not. But send us what you have." The twins scanned their dad's patches, tossed in some pictures, and sent it all in.
