Community: Four Boy Scouts achieve Eagle Scout rank
Four Boy Scouts from Troop 288 in La Crescenta recently achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Troop 288, part of the Verdugo Hills Council, is sponsored by American Legion Post 288.
Zachary Blue, a sophomore at Clark Magnet High School, began his scouting experience as a Bear Cub in Pack 302. He earned the Arrow of Light Award and bridged to the Boy Scouts.
He has volunteered for such service projects as Scouting for Food as well as Memorial and Veterans’ Day services at Two Strike Park. He also was elected to the Order of the Arrow by his peers in Troop 288. In 2013, Zach attended the National Jamboree at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia.
For his Eagle project, Zach replaced old benches in the courtyard at St. Luke’s of the Mountains Episcopal Church. He supervised a team of Scouts who removed the rotted wood and cut, assembled and painted new redwood benches.
Mark Webster, a freshman at Crescenta Valley High School, started scouting as a Tiger Cub in Pack 360 and advanced through Webelos Scouts, earning all the activity pins and then Cub Scouting’s highest award, the Arrow of Light.
He joined Troop 288 and has advanced past Eagle Scout by earning enough merit badges to qualify for his Bronze Palm award. Mark has earned three of the four religious awards for the Presbyterian Church — God and Me, God and Family and God and Church.
Mark’s Eagle project was to rebuild a splintery old bridge for the kindergartners at Dunsmore Elementary School. He installed new decking, fencing, painted handrails and built cubbies to hold the kindergartners’ lunches and jackets when they are on the playground.
He supervised 26 people who invested 124 hours in the project in addition to the 40 hours he put in personally.
Daniel McPherson, a junior at Crescenta Valley High School, started Cub Scouts as a fifth grader in Webelos 2 in Pack 360, where he earned his Arrow of Light.
Daniel has Alport syndrome and is in need of a kidney. He is on the transplant list at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. He said he would like to increase public awareness of this disease.
As a Boy Scout, Daniel has camped for 93 days and hiked for 320 miles. He traveled by bike more than 227 miles and finished a marathon.
Daniel’s Eagle project was to revitalize a Sunday School classroom at Glendale Presbyterian Church. He supervised 12 people who went through everything, gave the room a thorough cleaning and reorganized items. The team was able to construct a whiteboard, fill a dumpster with trash and create several multipurpose areas.
Kevin Backes, a senior at Crescenta Valley High School, started scouting as a Tiger Cub in Pack 302 at Monte Vista Elementary School. He progressed through Wolf, Bear and Webelos ranks and earned his Arrow of Light award.
As a Boy Scout, he planted trees at the Charlton Flats picnic site after the Station Fire, helped at the 9/11 Commemoration at Two Strike Park and achieved 50 out of 50 points in skeet shooting for the shotgun merit badge at Camp Chawanakee.
For his Eagle project, Kevin coordinated an upgrade of the firehouse on the grounds of St. Luke’s of the Mountains Episcopal Church. The crew cleaned and repainted the firehouse game room as well as repaired the pool table.
Three gems sparkle at dinner
Three people who achieved great success after graduating from local public schools will be honored by the Glendale Educational Foundation at the “Dancing with Diamonds Gala” on Friday at the Glendale Hilton.
Paul Robert Ignatius was born in Glendale and graduated from Hoover High School in 1938. He is a retired Secretary of the U.S. Navy and served from 1967 to 1969. He was also president of the Washington Post for two years and president of the Air Transport Assn. for 15 years.
Ron DePompa recently retired as chief of the Glendale Police Department and is a graduate of Crescenta Valley High School, Class of 1974. A Glendale native, he had been employed with the Police Department for 36 years and has established community policing, crime analysis and a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team.
Shant Sahakian, who graduated from Hoover High School in 2003, is founder of Sedna Solutions, a marketing and design firm that promotes several Glendale businesses. He also serves on the boards of many community organizations.
The foundation supports students and staff in the visual and performing arts, health and fitness as well as science and technology in the Glendale Unified School District. This year, the foundation’s project is “Save the Music,” and members hope to raise $150,000 for the instrumental music programs in the elementary schools.
Funds raised will supplement the $250,000 already donated to the district, which has helped purchase more than 300 musical instruments.
For more information, call (818) 247-0466.
Panhellenic has scholarship event
Deb Ann Orfalea, president of Glendale Area Alumnae Panhellenic and member of Zeta Tau Alpha, welcomed members and guests to her Glendale home over the holidays. Glendale members who attended were Rondi Werner Redmann, Zeta Tau Alpha; Janis Rosebrook, Alpha Xi Delta; Julie Weller, Delta Zeta; and Kim Westhoff, Alpha Omicron Pi.
The nonprofit group serves Burbank, Glendale, La Crescenta and surrounding communities with member volunteers from many of the 26 sororities recognized by the National Panhellenic Conference. The organization supports young women pursuing higher education.
Area high school senior women who are planning to attend a four-year college or university may attend a Scholarship Social on Feb. 20 at Salem Lutheran Church.
Those attending will hear about scholarship opportunities as well as what sorority membership offers young women. Reservations are required.
To raise scholarship funds, the group organizes an annual luncheon. This year, the event will be on March 22 at Oakmont Country Club. The Towne Singers Chamber Choir will entertain. The cost to attend is $60 or $35 for children 12 and younger.
For more information about these events, visit https://www.glendalepanhellenic.org.
Group helps women seeking education
The Philanthropic Educational Organization’s Reciprocity Bureau met recently to plan for its annual meeting this Saturday at Pickwick Gardens.
There are 15 chapters in Glendale, La Crescenta and La Cañada Flintridge. The international women’s organization was founded in 1869 and members support women and education by offering scholarships and financial aid. Nearly 88,000 women have benefited from the five educational grants, loans and awards offered by the group as well as special projects.
More than 700 women in the Glendale Reciprocity direct their efforts toward the advancement of women.
--
JOYCE RUDOLPH can be contacted at rudolphjoyce10@gmail.com.