Blue Mountain Council to Honor Eagle Scouts

Many years, and in some cases decades, of leadership and service will be recognized this week at the Blue Mountain Council Court of Honor and Eagle Scout Recognition.

The event, in the Chief Joseph Middle School Auditorium in Richland, Washington, will be held on Friday, May 31, at 6:30 PM.
Kennewick business leader and philanthropist Craig Eerkes, a Kennewick Eagle Scout, the 2014 Tri-Citian of the Year, and the 2007 Kennewick Man of the Year, will deliver a keynote address.

A highlight of the evening will be the recognition of the 28 youth who earned the rank of Eagle Scout in the Blue Mountain Council in 2023.

Among the awards presented to youth and adults during the evening will be several rare national Scouting awards.

A recognition only presented 2,206 times, including to among other noteworthy Eagle Scouts, Neil Armstrong, Gerald Ford, Steven Spielberg, Sam Walton, Gary Locke, Dan Evans, and Jim Lovell, the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award will be presented to Dr. Justin Teeguarden. Dr. Teeguarden is a 1985 Eagle Scout and is a Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Lab Fellow and the chief science officer for their Environmental Molecular Sciences Division.

Four Eagle Scouts will receive, for the first time in the Blue Mountain Council, the National Outstanding Eagle Scout Award. They are Tri-Cities attorney George Cicotte, retired Hanford engineer Steve Gaines, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Electric Infrastructure Market Sector Manager Carl Imhoff, and General Manager of Perma-Fix Northwest Bryan Blair.

Eagle Scout Emma Miller will receive the National Eagle Scout Association’s Adams Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award for her 2023 Eagle Scout service project.

The Vale la Pena! Service award for the development and implementation of Scouting opportunities for Hispanic/Latino youth will be presented to Gracie Valle-Chimal and Walter Chimal.

Eagle Scout Celeste Blair, who will be receiving the prestigious Congressional Award Gold Medal from the United States Congress in a congressional ceremony in Washington, DC on June 13th, will be recognized at the Court of Honor for receiving the Summit Rank, the highest rank in Venturing. Venturing is an adventure-based program of Scouting America for youth aged 14-20.

Other significant recognitions will include Presidential Service Awards, the Alumnus of the Year, Sea Scout Leadership Awards, and the Silver Beaver Award.

All Eagle Scouts from any year, family members, friends, and those who support Scouting are invited and encouraged to attend.
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More information may be found at https://scoutingevent.com/604-ccoh.