No matter how hard I tried I could not get Ken to an Eagle court of honor.
Ken Ryan was Scoutmaster of Troop 12 across town for thirty years and decided to retire the year I became Scoutmaster. By that time troop 12 had ten or twelve older Scouts and little other adult help, so Ken sent his remaining Scouts over to our troop.
Ken maintained his registration with our troop and visited a troop meeting once or twice a year until he died a couple of years ago.
When invited to attend our Eagle courts of honor Ken demurred. I pressed him on it and he said:
“When I was a boy and got my Eagle (that would have been in the nineteen thirties) I went to a troop meeting, my Scoutmaster handed be the badge and shook my hand.. ” At this point Ken raised both hands as if in benediction and concluded with; “… that was it.”
I think Ken’s felt some of our elaborate ceremony obscured the awards simple meaning.
Understand that I value the achievement of Eagle; I just don’t see why that moment should be overloaded with pomp and circumstance like a coronation. A simple, meaningful presentation is more poignant than an elaborate pageant of florid theatrics.