By CARRIE STAMBAUGH - The Independent
ASHLAND — Forty one-hundredths of a second after 2010 began, Mitch Mullins’ Eagle Scout Award was signed off on by local members of the Boy Scouts of America review board, potentially making him the first Eagle Scout of the year nationwide.
Mullins, 14, who has been involved in Scouts for the last four years, called the honor “one of the biggest things” he will receive in his life. The South Point, Ohio, native said he felt privileged to have the opportunity to be involved in Scouts and to receive its top award.
Mullins, of Troop 115, said he was given the idea for the special midnight ceremony by Edd Kimper, a troop leader in Grayson. Kimper, Mullins said, has been highly influential in his life. Mullins said he decided to pursue the idea because he wanted to “make my mark in history” by becoming the first Scout given the honor during the organization’s 100th anniversary year in existence.
“There are not too many people who can say that they thought of something like that or even done something like that,” he said.
The special midnight ceremony at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Ashland was done “above board and OK,” according to Bob Cruickshank, chairman of the Cardinal district of Eagle Board of Review of the Tri-State Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, although there were some last minute changes to their plan.
There was no Internet or television hook up of the New Year’s Celebration in Times Square so instead members were able to pick up the time signal from the Naval Observatory in Washington D.C. and record it and the signing of the paperwork on video camera in case anyone tries to dispute Mullins’ claim.
“We were very happy with it. It came off real fine and we’re proud of Mitch and what he’s done and his determination to do this also,” Cruickshank said. “It was kind of unusual us meeting at the hours we met and going through the procedure but the committee was all for it when we presented it to them earlier but this being a special occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America in 2010, We thought this would be appropriate and a fun thing to do for us and Scouting,” he said.
Cruickshank said although Mullins was approved for the award by the local board, he is not officially an Eagle Scout until his paperwork is signed by the executive of the Tri-State Area Council and then forwarded to the National Council headquarters in Irvine, Texas.
However, the date the local board of review signs off on the award is the official date it is given, he said.
