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About
Us
Lebanon County Eagle Scout Society
 The
idea to initiate an effort to organize an Eagle Scout organization,
or specifically, a local chapter of the National Eagle Scout
Association (NESA), was by the Northern District Executive
of the Lancaster-Lebanon County Council of BSA, Robert L.
Yates.
In the early spring
of 1989 Bob contacted Pete Silldorff to recruit him as the
coordinator of this effort, who then immediately asked John
Blouch and Richard Wentzel to assist in this endeavor. After
an initial meeting to discuss and plan for the recruitment
of a steering committee, the first meeting was called on May
15, 1989. Silldorff served as chairman of the steering committee.
At that meeting it was noted that the council executive expressed
the sentiment that the national office was not promoting the
organization of local chapters of NESA and subsequently the
local council wasn’t interested either.
The newly formed
steering committee nonetheless enthusiastically forged ahead
with our local effort to establish what we would call the
Lebanon County Eagle Scout Society, LCESS.
We continued the
recruitment to our steering committee and began publicizing
the organization in the local press to seek out and enlist
members. Ads and news stories brought our attention to the
general public with our desire to contact Eagle Scouts. Also,
old records of the Lebanon County Council Eagle Scouts were
used in our initial efforts to establish a data base for future
mailings.
The planning for
a “Gathering of Eagles” event was begun and our first banquet
was subsequently held at (appropriately) the Eagles Auditorium
in Lebanon on November 9, 1989. Our inaugural speaker was
Mr. Jack L. Rhea, retired assistant Chief Scout Executive
for Operations, a former director of the Philmont Scout Ranch,
and Eagle Scout. There were over 100 Eagles in attendance.
The annual banquets continue yearly with each year’s class
of Lebanon County Eagle Scouts as our honored guests.
A formal “mission
statement” was drawn up and approved, the first slate of officers
were elected, a periodically published “The Eagle’s Nest”
newsletter was mailed, a membership announcement and application
was published in the Lebanon Daily News, and memberships began
growing.
The inaugural
committee officers were:
Pete Silldorff
– Chairman
John Blouch
– Vice Chairman
Richard
Wentzel – Second Vice Chairman
Clayton
Garrett – Finance Chairman
Paul Baker
– Secretary
Edward Ream
– Information Systems
Bob Yates
– Professional Advisor
A summer “Gathering
of Eagles” social event has been held numerous years during
summer camp season at Bashore Scout Reservation.
Throughout the
first decade of existence the LCESS has provided the following
services to Scouting:
- Provided thousands
of dollars for camperships to needful scouts for summer
camp
- Financial assistance
for needful adult and boy scouts at scout training courses
- Eagle Scout
Award kits for new Lebanon County Eagles
- Recognize new
Eagles at the annual banquet and presentation of Eagle Belt
buckles
- Planted a commemorative
Eagle Scout oak tree at Camp Bashore with accompanying engraved
stone
- Provided engraved
stones of each scout law at Camp Bashore Reservation campfire
circle
- Provided financial
and material funding for district units
- Underwrite
Lebanon County Eagle Scouts at LCESS banquet
- Underwrite
Lebanon County Eagle Scouts at Council Eagle Recognition
banquet
- Publish and
distribute the “The Eagle’s Nest” newsletter for all Lebanon
County Eagles Scouts
- Fund the startup
of a Latino cub pack
We will continue
to reunite to promote the ideals of Scouting and to recognize
and organize all who received the Eagle award in or reside
in Lebanon County.
Submitted
October 2001 by A. P. Silldorff
Membership
Application
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