Then came the show. With scout music playing, he sat and watched in silence as a PowerPoint presentation flashed photos he hadn't seen in years, scans of his badges, even a checklist of equipment ("tents, poles, tea shirts") written in his own hand.
At the controls, Jena paused at the last slide. It was a screen shot of an e-mail from Irving, Texas. Three days old, it was written by the Boy Scouts' national director for advancement and addressed to Sarah. "I've been trying to reach you for a day and a half," it read. "The Committee has made a decision in favor of your father. He will be granted an Eagle Scout board of review."
When they looked over, they saw their father's eyes were flooded with tears.
On July 26, Bill Ehmann entered a private room at Baltimore Area Council Headquarters and sat down at a conference table. Across from him sat three grim-looking Boy Scout officials, all older than he. Even 35 years after the fact, he was nervous. One panel member broke the tension.
"It's a rare situation when a mistake by an adult is allowed to be repaired so many years later," said John Ertel, a member of the National Advancement Committee. "I almost feel as if I should apologize."
It was less a grilling than a wide-ranging conversation. Then came the question few people, if any, have ever directly asked.
"Your record is exemplary," said Ronald Fann, chairman of the Baltimore Area Council Advancement Committee. "You've fulfilled the requirements, and we welcome you. But Ehmann - what went wrong?"
Some say there comes a moment in a boy's life when he must make a choice - a choice that defines his character, or reveals it. For better and worse, Bill Ehmann approached his biggest disappointment as he felt a Scout should. As he remembers it, he submitted all his paperwork. But the Scoutmaster, for reasons of his own, failed to submit it promptly.
The Scout Law says a boy should be both obedient and cheerful - trusting those above him, never grousing at hardship. Ehmann never followed up.
That Scoutmaster from long ago, when reached this week, remembered Billy Ehmann. And what he recalls is a shy boy who had made some grammatical errors in his report, been told of the problem and failed to return with corrections.
"I can't chase after every boy," William Endres, 80, said from his home in Parkville. "An Eagle Scout has to take the reins. I wish he had." They've never discussed the matter.
