Eagle Scout

Monsignor James P. Farmer of St. Ursula Catholic Church may have done right by his church, but he has done a disservice to the Boy Scouts who are members of the troop sponsored by his Parkville parish. He has barred from Boy Scout functions politicians who oppose Catholic teachings, notably on embryonic stem cell research, for no other reason than the view they hold. That surely wouldn't pass a Scout's test of courtesy, respect for others or, for that matter, good citizenship. As an organization, the Boy Scouts of America tries to keep politics out; Monsignor Farmer's edict has needlessly politicized an aspect of scouting life.

Dr. Benjamin L. "Doc" Harris, a former chemical engineer who retired as the director of research and development at Edgewood Arsenal, died Saturday of complications from Alzheimer's disease at the Glen Meadows retirement community in Glen Arm. He was 89 and a longtime resident of Glen Arm. He was born in Savannah, Ga., and moved to the Baltimore area with his parents as a child. He joined the Army as an officer in 1938, performing chemical research at Edgewood for five years during World War II. He was a reserve officer until 1977, when he retired as a colonel.

Tree-planting project honors military There were no flags. No military bands. No speeches by politicians. Instead, there were 500 pitch pine saplings, dozens of shovels and a single uniformed Boy Scout hollering out orders. Over the whine of a chain saw, dozens of muddy children, parents and grandparents splashed through a swampy forest near Annapolis yesterday to commemorate Veterans Day by planting a living shrine to the men and women who have served in the nation's wars. At 11 seconds past 11:11 a.m. -- the time commemorating the official end of fighting in World War I on Nov. 11, 1918 -- the planting ceased and the group of about 80 gathered by the stream for a moment of silence.

In April 1963, 9-year-old Mike Lyman was watching Walter Cronkite's news broadcast and heard that the USS Thresher nuclear submarine was missing. "Then, I remember the Navy guys coming to the door," said Lyman. His father, Lt. Cmdr. John Sheldon Lyman Jr., 31, was third in command on the submarine when he and 128 others perished at 5,500 feet during a deep-diving exercise 220 miles east of Boston. According to the Navy Historical Web site, a court of inquiry "opined that the loss of Thresher was in all probability due to a casting, piping, or welding failure that flooded the engine room with water."

County Council candidate Mary Kay Sigaty, a Democrat running in west Columbia's District 4, got the biggest crowd response last week at a candidates forum in Harper's Choice. The question from education activist Stanley Daniello was: "How can we trust any of you?" It began when UNcommon, a rival Democratic candidate whose name is Jeffrey L. Underwood, responded that he was probably the only Eagle Scout among the four candidates seeking the seat on the all-male County Council. Democrat Josh Feldmark then said he also had been an Eagle Scout, whereupon Sigaty, the only woman on the panel spoke up. "I think I'm the only one up here who couldn't be an Eagle Scout.

Colin Miller, a senior at Reservoir High School, was an Eagle Scout for less than a day. His application to attain the highest Boy Scout rank was approved by a local Eagle Scout Board of Review on Nov. 3. The next day, Colin turned 18 and was no longer officially a Boy Scout. In truth, once an Eagle Scout, always an Eagle Scout. It's a lifelong designation, showing that a person has risen through Scouting ranks, completing challenges and assignments along the way. Though all requirements must be finished by the applicant's 18th birthday, the Board of Review - made up of a district commissioner and three or four representatives from the troop - can approve the designation as long as 90 days after the Scout has turned 18, said Jon Phillips, Scoutmaster for Miller's troop, No. 424. Miller and his younger brother, Evan, a seventh-grader at Hammond Middle School, are active Scouts, said their mother, Karen Miller.

Jay Barnett, who strove to become an Eagle Scout despite fighting a rare form of cancer, died of his condition Wednesday at his Ferndale home. He was 17. Born in Annapolis and raised in Ferndale, Jay was a graduate of Hilltop Elementary School in Glen Burnie. While a pupil at Glendale Middle School in 2002, he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer that attacks the nervous system. A member of Boy Scout Troop 447 in Linthicum, he was working to become an Eagle Scout at the time of his death.

Jeffrey R. Chrismer has been named "Eagle Scout of the Year" by the American Legion Post 60. Chrismer is a member of Venturing Crew 1250, which meets at St. Mary of the Mills Catholic Church. For his Eagle project, the Scout led 30 volunteers in the cleanup of a 130-yard section of Bear Creek in Laurel. Chrismer, who attends DeMatha High School, also volunteered at Laurel Regional Hospital, helping with rehabilitation activities. He intends to become a physical therapist. The runner-up was Jacob R. McCurry of Troop 1021.

Suddenly on May 1, 2005, beloved husband of Bonnie "Lorraine" Thomas, devoted father of John Gordon and David William Thomas, loving son of Gordon and Ruby Thomas, dear brother of Stewart and Craig Thomas, Shannon Hardy and the late Dorothea Green, uncle of Rachel, Sara, Christen and Austin. Bruce was an Eagle Scout and very active Scout Master for Boys Scout Troop #379, Fort Meade, MD also a coach at Fort Meade High School. Friends may call at the DONALDSON FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY, P.A., 1411 Annapolis Road on Wednesday 4 to 8 P.M. A graveside service will be held on Thursday 10:45 A. M at the Maryland Veteran Cemetery, Crownsville.

Brian Csernak became a Boy Scout for one reason: his brother. "I always looked up to him," he said. "When David became an Eagle Scout, that's all I wanted to do." Csernak turned his goals into reality recently when he received the Eagle rank at an Eagle Scout Court of Honor in Bradshaw. He started Scouting in 1993 and has since earned 42 merit badges. Csernak relocated from Pennsylvania to Bel Air six years ago and joined Boy Scout Troop 877 at St. Stephen's Parish. Csernak has held many leadership positions, including assistant patrol leader, patrol leader, troop bugler and troop guide.