Scout Award

Two Baltimore physicians have been given the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award by the Baltimore Area Council of Boy Scouts of America in recognition of their contributions to society a quarter-century or more after attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. Recipients of the national award are Dr. J. Alex Haller Jr. and Dr. Robert A. Barish. Haller, 74, a retired pediatric surgeon who specialized in trauma care, was instrumental in the creation of the children's shock trauma center at Johns Hopkins Medical Center.

TOMORROW is a big day for Matt Ford of Dayton and his parents, Ron and Janice Ford.The Mount St. Joseph High School senior will receive his Eagle Scout award in a ceremony at the Howard County Fairgrounds.Matt began Scouting nine years ago and made the long climb to Eagle rank by participating in Cub Scout Pack 761 and Boy Scout Troop 757 activities as a Scout and a leader.He has earned 36 merit badges -- 15 more than he needs for the Eagle rank -- in addition to the World Conservation Award and two religious awards.

FAMILY, FRIENDS and guests state Sen. John C. Astle and Del. Michael E. Busch gathered at the Ulmstead Barn on Oct. 24 to see five members of Broadneck Boy Scout Troop 835 receive the highest honor in Boy Scouting: the Eagle Scout Award. From the time a boy becomes a Scout, all the badges he earns and elective projects he works on go toward fulfilling the requirements for the Eagle award. One of the final requirements is to perform an individual community project. The Eagle project of 17-year-old Nicholas Lindsay, son of Robin Lindsay and Melanie Lindsay, was to build a split-rail fence to protect an area on the Broadneck Peninsula that was being reforested.

Boy Scout Troop 618 has added another Eagle to its roster. Nathan Jamil Essey received his Eagle Scout Award at a July 29 "Court of Honor" at Amherst House, Kings Contrivance Village. He is the son of Annette and Mitchell Essey of Columbia's Kings Contrivance village.His Eagle project was improving the habitat of the Eastern bluebird. Under his leadership, 50 bluebird houses were constructed by a crew of 26 who worked 576 hours.Charles Rhodehamel and Walter Burlingham provided technical guidance for the project.

Seven Carroll County girls recently earned the Girl Scouts' highest honor, the Gold Award, for outstanding accomplishments in leadership, community service, career planning and personal development. Senior Girl Scouts working toward the Gold Award must complete five requirements related to the above areas, including spending at least 50 hours planning and implementing a Girl Scout service project that has a positive and lasting effect on the community. The Carroll recipients are: Laura Ciborowski: Troop 509. A graduate of Glenelg High School, she did her project on "Bringing Kids Together."

GLEN BURNIE teen-ager William Ringrose will receive a national Scouting award Monday for his quick thinking after a 10-year-old was injured playing in the snow last winter. With time off from school because of a snowstorm Jan. 25, William had anticipated a carefree day of sledding and snowboarding on a hill near Glen Burnie Park Elementary - until he saw 10-year-old Tyler Green lose his tube coming off a snowy ramp. "When he came down, the tube was not under him," William recalled. "When he hit the ground his face turned bright red, and he was reaching for the small of his back and he was screaming in pain."

Two dozen members of Cub Scout Pack 269 were honored recently at an awards ceremony at Four Seasons Elementary School.Cubmaster Mark Hagensick presented the Bobcat badges to: Kyle Allen, Jeffrey Anderson, Edward Cordova, Adam Cage, Aaron Edings, Robbie Harris, Matthew Michels, Christopher Mayo, Matt Mobley, Jimmy McCologan, Ryan Osborn, Reginald Parker and Nathaniel White. Michels also earned the Wolf rank.Webelos communicator badges were presented to: Tim Anderson, Billy Bergbauer, Will Brady, Matt Hagensick and Brandon Rieger.

Shelby Fillinger of Havre de Grace, a member of Girl Scouts of Central Maryland Troop 4111, has earned the Gold Award, the highest achievement within the Girls Scouts of the USA. Only 5.4 percent of eligible Girl Scouts successfully earn the Gold Award. Shelby designed and painted a Noah's Ark mural as well as wrote a corresponding lesson plan for the Sunday school classes at Wesleyan Chapel United Methodist Church. Her mentor was Sue Ellen North.

Current and former Centennial High School students are making news this week! Girl Scout Senior Troop 1929 has some great news to share. Three members of their troop have earned the Silver Award, the highest recognition for Cadette Girl Scouts. Centennial High School freshmen Lily Fetcho, Melissa Johnson and Emily Moore recently earned the Silver awards for their winning project, "Be Cool: Recycool. " Designed to teach children about recycling, their project garnered the attention of the Howard County recycling coordinator who incorporated it into the county's recycling programming for summer camps and school presentations.