First off, I want to express my gratitude to you all for attending this special event recognizing the Council’s newest class of Eagle Scouts. Furthermore, I would like to thank Rich Coster and everyone for organizing tonight’s activities and inviting me to address this talented and young crowd as the keynote speaker. Next, I would like to congratulate you for arriving at the Summit Where Eagles Fly. Everyone in this room understands the many years of service and leadership required to reach this high honor.

For those that don’t know me, my name is Max and I currently serve as an Assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 117 in Coatesville. I began my Scouting career as a Tiger Cub about 17 years ago; which it then dawned on me while writing this speech that some of you may have been born in 2008, or even later. I have been an Eagle Scout for about 9 years and embarked on treks to three of Scouting’s High Adventure Bases. Most notably, Philmont provided me with ample time to reflect on my experience in Scouting and I wanted to share some of my discoveries with you all.

My story begins on Day 4 of my Philmont trek. To provide some context, this was the third time I tried to go to Philmont after training with a third different crew; a wildfire in 2018 burned a hole through the middle of the ranch and I was rescheduled to go during the COVID pandemic. If another disaster had occurred in 2022, I would have taken it as a sign that I simply was not meant to go. We are preparing to leave Baldy Town, the 10,000-foot altitude pit stop for crews attempting to summit Mount Baldy. It’s pitch black, the wildlife remains still, and my boots are still wet from the monsoon two days prior that filled them with muddy hail that looked like Cocoa Puffs. The remaining 2400 feet of elevation are going to take three hours of hiking to conquer. As the air grew thinner and trees slowly started disappearing during the ascent, I couldn’t help but wonder what the view would like at the apex; I’ve heard stories of snowball fights atop Baldy and one Scouter jokingly put me to the task of trying to find one of his socks that flew away back in the ‘60s. But alas, once upon reaching that summit, we were greeted by 50 mph wind gusts and dense billowing clouds on all sides. At that moment, I was disappointed; this was supposed to be the climax following years of developing skills and training, and yet I don’t think we stayed up there for more than five minutes.

I’m including this story because it parallels my perspective in becoming an Eagle Scout. Looking back at my own trail to Eagle, I feel like I didn’t acknowledge how far I came amidst all the chaos of project deadlines and other responsibilities. In any facet of life, it’s easy to lose sight of the purpose of what you had set out to achieve. To be frank, I started as a kid that wrote letters home from summer camp hoping to get picked up early. Almost a decade and hundreds of stories later, there I was, calling home from the top of a mountain in New Mexico; not hoping to get picked up, but as proof that we were successfully navigating the backcountry and the elements with a great crew. Conquering a mountain and becoming an Eagle Scouts are still no doubt great accomplishments; however, their rewards come in different forms than I had anticipated. 

For example, others recognize the cachet of becoming an Eagle Scout and the standard of excellence that it implies; I hope you realize how much you all have grown as friends, citizens, and leaders. It’s a factor that increases the odds of a school or employer accepting your application. Your beneficiaries welcomed your projects because they understand that Eagle Scouts can guarantee a job well done. People look to you as stewards of the environment and your communities. I want to emphasize that this does not have to be the end of your Scouting story. The Scouting Program provides ample opportunities for young leaders to refine their burgeoning skillsets; but the best aspect in my opinion is that it allows younger Scouts to find out more about themselves. Whether you are aging out soon or still have a couple years, I hope recognize your impact on your peers. Getting to the summit already requires you to take on more responsibilities related to mentoring, but I can assure you there is so much besides demonstrating tying a square knot for what feels like the 1000^th time to a new Scout. Although I accomplished my goals of summiting both Mt. Baldy and the Trail to Eagle, I found even more meaningful sources of fulfillment in accepting a new role as a new adult advisor.

What do I mean by fulfillment? Taking on more of an advisory role gives me great joy because I can more easily see and foster the improvement of those rising through the ranks after me. In all sorts of programs, I’ve relied on so many adults as mentors; each of us are culminations of countless tidbits of advice that we take to heart and apply to our personal experiences. I think about learning to use compacter bags to line my backpack that keeps my clothes dry or flipping my water bottle upside down in freezing temperatures at night so you can still drink out of it in the morning. In my time in the Order of the Arrow, I always think of Chad Martin. He too is an Eagle Scout of Troop 117. Early on into being elected into the Scouting’s honor society, Chad invited me to join the ceremonies team. I said yes, but only once I made certain I wasn’t going to have to sing or dance, I’m sort of a single threat kind of guy. Chad guided me through multiple years of ceremonies and instilled the significance of making the best first impression of the lodge to its newest members. Most importantly, he kept me engaged in the program because he saw something in me that I could not find in myself. Only great mentors can keep programs going by elevating newcomers enough to learn and fail on their own. Last year, members of the Octoraro Lodge ceremonies team asked me to take over as the Ceremonies Advisor. There, I saw the bigger picture of how Scouting has taken me on so many adventures, and now it’s my turn to help the next generation maximize their experience; just like what Chad has done for me. Although I was disappointed in the views atop Baldy and found myself asking what comes next after achieving the rank of Eagle, I discovered that my new expertise arose from many selfless role models in the Scouting community and the joys that come with continuing to share it.

In all, the years of your hard work have rewarded you with a wealth of knowledge about the outdoors and leadership. However, another one of the best parts of Scouting is passing down that information. Once again, I would like to congratulate you on becoming Eagle Scouts. Many of you dedicated a portion of your Court of Honor to present a select few Mentors with pins, mainly because the room isn’t big enough to fit everyone who has helped you become who you are today. I’d like to leave you all with my all-time favorite quote from late NBA legend Bill Walton. It’s succinctness and poignance inspired me to attempt to embody it every day, and it goes as follows: “Shine the light. Be the light.” In times of darkness, the world needs more people who choose to lead with kindness, cheerfulness, and compassion. Never stop striving to grow as brave leaders that illuminate the voices of your friends, your family, and yourselves. I have no doubt that each of you will rise to the challenge and propel past it. As I am sure that you have heard a bunch already, Once an Eagle, Always an Eagle. Thank you all for having me and I wish you all the best of luck on the next steps of your journeys.