Sheri Samson
Diego Pittman receives his Silver Badge from Scout Master Jim Pruss at the Troop 75 Court of Honor.
With a roomful of boy scouts, many family and friends gathered together as Jim Pruss, the Scout Master of Troop 75 began the evening’s awards ceremony, which was called the Court of Honor.
As many merit badges were passed out among the various scouts, one in particular stood out. Pruss explained, “As an Eagle Scout there are 21 merit badges earned, plus many accomplishments and experiences represented at this level. Most scouts feel they have topped out once they reach such a goal, but Diego Pittman decided to surpass that level by climbing on to earn his bronze, silver and gold badges.” With such a dedicated feat already accomplished, one had to ask Pittman why he had a vision to attain more within his scouting venture. “I just thought, why stop now? I might as well make the most of it all.”
The evening was full of many accomplished scouts. Some were honored at the entry “tenderfoot” level, which meant the boy scout had completed an overnight camping experience, complete with basic first aid, tent setup and other first level events.
Pruss explained that the left-handed shake, which a scout receives when obtaining his merit badge, was significant because it was an ultimate sign of trust and traditional to scouting.
Another level of awards were given to those that had made it to “second class” which acknowledged their scouting skills such as swimming, cooking, and knife sharpening, along with making a proper first aid kit.
The third level was “first class” which represented a proficiency in leading, cleanup, menu planning and automatic involvement within the team of scouts. Several notable scouts, such as Jesus Naranjo participated as patrol leaders, assisting in passing out the merit badges while being honored themselves for their own abilities to move ahead within the scouting experience.
Pruss shared a video of Troop 75’s summer trip, while explaining that next year a huge expedition is planned for the end of May and into the first of June. Their website: troop75.org has all the specific details, as the trip will involve a 13-day journey, including the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone Park, a rodeo in Wyoming and seeing various earthly wonders such as geysers, hot springs, wild buffalo, craters and ice caves in Utah.
The scouts will experience climbing events, camping and various badge-earning situations within the trip. There is a limited amount of space, so a pre-registration and payment plan was offered to the scouts. Also, if anyone in the community would care to contribute toward a scholarship plan, please contact Jim Pruss through the troop website for further information.
This is an active troop, with many activities and involvements locally. The scouting program offers a well-rounded opportunity for young boys to grow into responsibility by learning basic skills which can assist them into adulthood.
Pruss shared that many of the scouting badges provide knowledge in finances, community involvement, survival skillsets and more.
