Elves, Heroes, and Eagle Scouts
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Volume 31, Number 1 Journal of the National Eagle Scout Association SPRING 2005 Also in this issue: Eagle Scouts Find Friendship and Adventure at European Scout Camps, page 8 Distinguished Eagle Scout Jim Rogers, page 10 The Pinewood Derby Roars Onto the Big Screen, page 22 lves, Heroes, E and Eagle Scouts EAGLETTER SPRING 2005 Feature story lves, Heroes, E and Eagle Scouts byby MarkMark RayRay erek Slinger’s 18th birthday was thing done and turned in before his his troop would create the drawings, fast approaching last fall, and 18th birthday,” Barnes said. one of Tammy Slinger’s coworkers Dthe Scout from Raymore, Then Derek’s cancer returned. would print 250 copies, and then Derek Missouri, still had not finished his Eagle Diagnosed with osteosarcoma in and his volunteers would package the Scout service project. He had completed August 2003, Derek had spent more coloring books with crayons and deliver all his merit badges (and then some— time in hospitals than he cared to them to Children’s Mercy. he earned 51 in all) and had done a remember, including most of his junior As often happens with Eagle projects, stint as his troop’s senior patrol leader, year—the only year he did not letter in however, things didn’t go exactly as but his project remained unfinished. theater. He spent the bulk of that time in planned. Derek had not given his Scout “I was getting really nervous,” he said. Kansas City’s Children’s Mercy Hospital, artists very specific guidelines, for “You’ve worked really hard for X but this latest recurrence meant he example, so he ended up with all sorts number of years to achieve this, and would have to travel to M. D. Anderson of random drawings, as he described you’re about to throw it away.” Cancer Center in Houston. It also them. The looming trip to Houston did Scoutmaster Dan Barnes did not want meant he would have to put his plans not help matters, either. With Christmas to see that happen. As one of the troop’s to become an Eagle Scout on hold. fast approaching and an extension in original Eagle Scouts, he did not want Fortunately, neither Derek’s hand, he resolved to wait until January any Scout—perhaps especially Derek— Scoutmaster nor his Aunt Tammy—who and make a fresh start. to fall short of Scouting’s highest rank had adopted Derek and his little sister, when he was oh-so-close. Leslee, after their parents’ deaths from Derek had been a gung-ho Scout cancer in the 1990s—was willing to give ever since joining the troop at age 10. up. Their petition for an extension was He’d been to summer camp every year, quickly granted from the BSA national had participated in the troop’s high- office. Unbeknownst to Derek, the extra adventure program, and had worked time would not be necessary. with special-needs kids over four Having spent so much time in the summers at Rotary Youth Camp. hospital, Derek knew just how boring “He’s always done everything hospitals can be for young people, 100 percent. He’s the kind of Scout especially those who must you dream of having.” Barnes said. remain in isolation. With Derek had been just as active at his Eagle project— Raymore-Peculiar High School, especially creating a coloring in student government and the theater book for children program. He had lettered in theater in isolation at three years and was the only student Children’s Mercy in his freshman class to both letter Hospital—Derek in theater and be inducted into the hoped to ease some International Thespian Society. In his of that boredom. senior year, Derek was serving as Fellow Scouts from student body president. Clearly, this was one Eagle Scout his Scoutmaster did not want to let slip away. As the days sped past, he helped Derek come up with a plan to finish his Eagle project with two weeks to spare. “We had it timed so he would get every- 3 EAGLETTER SPRING 2005 Just before the trip to Houston, his darkness. Something unexpected clearly aunt’s coworker who’d agreed to print was happening. the coloring books called Derek. He While a holiday crowd of aunts, suggested that they create a special uncles, and grandparents looked on, version of the book for 12-year-old Leslee opened her gift, a slim blue color- Leslee, who was understandably worried ing book titled “My Best Friend.” Inside about her beloved older brother’s the cover was a printed explanation of health. Derek agreed and quickly how the book had come to be. Various wrote a 16-stanza poem titled “My Best family members started to read the Friend” for Leslee’s one-of-a-kind color- explanation, but, as Derek said, “they ing book. This special gift would arrive started bawling and I had to finish it.” on Christmas Eve. By the time he was finished reading, What Derek did not know was that the he had begun to realize what was in the caller was an imposter. He was also an other box. It was an Eagle Scout badge. elf. Not just any elf, mind you, but the The Chief Elf had done more than just Chief Elf of a Kansas City organization put together a simple gift for Leslee. He called the Elves of Christmas Present. also had assembled a team of elves and Founded in 1990, this unique group is heroes to help Derek turn his Eagle dedicated to fulfilling the wishes of peo- Scout dream into a reality. ple facing difficult circumstances at When he first learned about Derek’s Christmastime. The Elves do their work situation from an elf at Children’s in secret, never revealing their identities. Mercy Hospital, the Chief Elf had been Like Santa’s little helpers, they always inspired. He decided that the Elves deliver their gifts on Christmas Eve. should print thousands, not hundreds, So Derek was not surprised when of Derek’s coloring books. And they the doorbell rang at about 6:30 P.M. should make sure every children’s on December 24; after all, he had been hospital in America received copies, expecting Leslee’s coloring book to not just Children’s Mercy. And they arrive for some time. But two things should recruit professional cartoonists surprised him about the people at the from across the country—people like door. First, they were young boys Eagle Scout Bill Amend, the creator wearing elf caps with “Rookie Elf” of “FoxTrot”—to provide the drawings. emblazoned across the fronts. Second, “I can only say that was an inspiration they handed gifts to both Leslee and from someone greater than myself,” Derek before scurrying off into the the Chief Elf said. To Help Other People at All Times SinceSince 1990,1990, thethe ElvesElves ofof ChristmasChristmas PPresentresent hhaveave bbeeneen fulfillingfulfilling tthehe wwishesishes ofof ppeopleeople inin need of a little Christmas cheer. Few people know who the Elves are. Fewer still know how they got their start. In December 1990, a Cub Scout pack in Olathe, Kansas, decided to adopt a family for Christmas. The family’s seven children had lost their father just before Thanksgiving and were facing an especially bleak Christmas. The Cub Scouts did a good job of collecting toys, clothing, and other items for the family, but the parents of one Cub Scout thought they could do a little more. When the dad (himself a former Boy Scout) learned that the children’s father had promised them a basketball goal, he decided to make sure that promise was fulfilled. AndAnd so,so, latelate onon a frigidfrigid CChristmashristmas Eve,Eve, thatthat CubCub SScoutcout ddadad aandnd a ggrouproup ooff volunteersvolunteers installedinstalled a basketballbasketball goalgoal inin thethe family’sfamily’s yard.yard. TheyThey workedworked underunder covercover ofof darknessdarkness soso they could remain anonymous and so they would not upstage the Cub Scouts’ efforts. The volunteers enjoyed the experience so much—despite the freezing tempera- tures—thattures—that theythey decideddecided toto stickstick ttogetherogether andand fulfillfulfill otherother people’speople’s wwishesishes inin tthehe yyearsears toto ccome.ome. TThehe ggrouproup hhasas ssinceince ggrownrown ttoo somesome 660000 EElves,lves, butbut thethe missionmission hashas remainedremained the same. And the Cub Scout dad who started it all? He’s the Chief Elf. 4 EAGLETTER SPRING 2005 Just before Thanksgiving, two differ- ent elves put the Chief Elf in touch with Each cartoonist was given Kathie Kerr, communications director for Kansas City–based Universal Press a stanza of the poem Derek Syndicate, the largest independent newspaper syndicate in the world. wrote for Leslee and asked Kathie was excited about the project— her husband is a Scouter and both her to illustrate it using his or son and stepson have been involved in her own characters. the program—but the deadline worried her. Even with elfin magic, the cartoons would have to be in hand by December 17, which was only a few weeks away. “I think everyone lives for that moment Nevertheless, she started e-mailing when you’re called upon to contribute cartoonists before starting a week’s your skills for something worthwhile. vacation, hoping for positive responses Not working on it wasn’t an option when she returned. “To my surprise, for me.” before I left the office for vacation, Each cartoonist was given a stanza several e-mailed me back and said they of the poem Derek wrote for Leslee would be happy to participate,” she said. and asked to illustrate it using his or In all, 14 cartoonists agreed to partici- her own characters.