Tanner & Zack's Eagle Court of Honor Program
Sunday, July 1st was the night the Tanner & Zack Bennett had their
Eagle Scout Court of Honor at our Fort Canyon Ward Building at 7 pm. We invited family, friends, and Scout leaders that have had some influence on these young men.
This is Tanner's display table with some of his Scout uniform pieces over the years. We also displayed his Scout Binder that we kept all of his records, Scout cards, merit badges, Scout Book, a photo album of Tanner's Eagle Scout Project, and a photo collage of some of the pictures we took since Tanner was little.
Refreshment table, there's ALWAYS one of those.
Yummy Dessert!
A few pictures of before the program started. Nathan Henley, Tanner and Matt talking in the background. G&G Gillett sitting with Megan and Scott & Michelle's friend who is living with them. Scott & Michelle were on an Alaskan cruise, and G&G Gillett were watching Megan during this time.
Bailey and Madi checking out Tanner's table of Scout items.
Tanner, Nathan and Coach Paskett
Zack Bennett and Dad preparing for the video presentation of the Eagle Scouts.
The time is getting close and the seats begin to fill up with family and friends.
Zack Bennett's family sitting to the right of Dad
A GREAT man, mentor, family member, friend and Scout Leader, Ray Garrett. Ray was Tanner's New Scout Leader when he was 11 years old and gained a very valuable friendship with him during this time. Ray was Tanner's ONLY Leader that came, and Tanner was the ONLY scout in this group for almost a whole year. So these got to be great friends, and Tanner really learned to LOVE Ray! Who is also my cousin, or Ray Paskett's nephew, Aunt Alta's son.
Ray Garrett has worked at the American Fork Cemetery for years, and had told Tanner about re-doing the headstones for veterans that had crumbled over the years. This was a number of years ago when Tanner was just finishing up his merit badges and looking into what to do for his Eagle Scout Project. Tanner is really into Veteran's and stories of that era, etc. So it sparked a little something in Tanner and we started to go forward with that in March of 2009. We had talked about doing it April of 2009, but Soccer tryouts, and Club Soccer got in the way. Then in May it was to close to Memorial Day, which is a BIG day for Cemetery's. So we thought we'd wait until June but that's when Ray was getting ready to have his son Kota come home from his mission, & they were preparing for that. July came when Kota came home and then a TERRIBLE accident happened Saturday, July 24 while Ray and some of his family was at the Days of 47' Rodeo in SLC, his other son Aaron, accidentally passed away. The next day was their son's, Kota's Homecoming at church & WOW!!!! what a experience that was to be in the congregation that day. The Garrett family had decided to go forward with the Homecoming and being there that day was SO Spiritual & reverent, the Spirit was SO STRONG! Well, with all of that, we put off Tanner's Eagle Project and didn't speak to Ray about it again until the following summer. We got things arranged and began the process in the early Summer of June 2010. Tanner finished his project just a few days before his 16th birthday- Just in time to get his license! But then with High School Soccer, Soccer Club, Futsal, Indoor Soccer, Life and so the Eagle Board of Review didn't happen until November of 2011. We tried to squeeze it in in December, but chose to wait and maybe wait for another Eagle Scout to do the Court of Honor with. So we waited, and waited until Zack finally got his done and his Board of Review done in June just before his 18th Birthday. With Summer being Crazy-Busy we chose to have it Sunday, July 1st. The night before our family headed out to Bear Lake for our Family Vacation.
Madi playing with Morgan
Rachel, Uncle Ralph holding Morgan and Ray Garrett
Brother Darin Rhodes, YM President conducted this evening
Braden Vawdrey, Tanner and Dad
"Several
years ago a group of men, leaders of Scouts, assembled in the mountains
near Sacramento for Wood Badge training. This experience, where men camp
out and live as do the Scouts they teach, is a most interesting one.
They cook and then eat—burned eggs! They hike the rugged trails which
age invariably makes more steep. They sleep on rocky ground. They gaze
again at heaven’s galaxies.
This
group provided its own reward. After days of being deprived, they
feasted on a delicious meal prepared by a professional chef who joined
them at the end of their endurance trail. Tired, hungry, a bit bruised
after their renewal experience, one asked the chef why he was always
smiling and why each year he returned at his own expense to cook the
traditional meal for Scouting’s leaders in that area. He placed aside
the skillet, wiped his hands on the white apron which graced his rotund
figure, and told the men this experience. Dimitrious began:
“I
was born and grew to boyhood in a small village in Greece. My life was a
happy one until World War II. Then came the invasion and occupation of
my country by the Nazis. The freedom-loving men of the village resented
the invaders and engaged in acts of sabotage to show their resentment.
“One
night, after the men had destroyed a hydroelectric dam, the villagers
celebrated the achievement and then retired to their homes.”
Dimitrious
continued: “Very early in the morning, as I lay upon my bed, I was
awakened by the noise of many trucks entering the village. I heard the
sound of soldiers’ boots, the rap at the door, and the command for every
boy and man to assemble at once on the village square. I had time only
to slip into my trousers, buckle my belt, and join the others. There,
under the glaring lights of a dozen trucks, and before the muzzles of a
hundred guns, we stood. The Nazis vented their wrath, told of the
destruction of the dam, and announced a drastic penalty: every fifth man
or boy was to be summarily shot. A sergeant made the fateful count, and
the first group was designated and executed.”
Dimitrious
spoke more deliberately to the Scouters as he said: “Then came the row
in which I was standing. To my horror, I could see that I would be the
final person designated for execution. The soldier stood before me, the
angry headlights dimming my vision. He gazed intently at the buckle of
my belt. It carried on it the Scout insignia. I had earned the belt
buckle as a Boy Scout for knowing the Oath and the Law of Scouting. The
tall soldier pointed at the belt buckle, then raised his right hand in
the Scout sign. I shall never forget the words he spoke to me: ‘Run,
boy, run!’ I ran. I lived. Today I serve Scouting, that boys may still
dream dreams and live to fulfill them.” (As told by Peter W. Hummel.)
Dimitrious
reached into his pocket and produced that same belt buckle. The emblem
of Scouting still shone brightly. Not a word was spoken. Every man wept.
A commitment to Scouting was renewed.
It
has been said, “The greatest gift a man can give a boy is his
willingness to share a part of his life with him.” To leaders who build
bridges to the hearts of boys, to parents of Scouts, and to Scouts
everywhere, on this our 75th anniversary, I salute you and pray our
Heavenly Father’s blessings upon you. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
Ray barely got through it, but I was so impressed with this talk when I came across it, that I wanted someone "special" to Tanner to relay it.
Jesse Garlick was asked to participate by, "Calling to the Eagle's Nest"
Bishop Beckwith was asked to present the Eagle Scout Award to these fine new Eagles!
Nathan Henley, Todd Allen, Brian Gillett, Matt, and Jeremy Bikman (from the ward.) in the Eagles Nest.
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