2008 Scout Project of the Year

Baylor Dickerson of Bumpass, Virginia

Update: June 2011

Dear Ms. Grimord

I hope this letter finds you well and that you are enjoying the beginning of summer.  I am, especially since school is winding down and graduation is this weekend!

This letter is sent to thank you for helping me earn national rankings as the National Runner Up for the American Legion Eagle Scout of the Year for 2011 and for taking first place as the Veterans of Foreign Wars Eagle Scout of the Year for 2011. I never envisioned my efforts would take me this far, nor did I ever think I would still have an opportunity to talk abut the sacrifices of our service personnel and the good work of the Wounded Warrior Ministry, as I have during this competition.

I am sure you will remember at the first of the year, when I asked you for a letter of recommendation to meet requirements for awards offered by the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.  Both awards are separate, but similar, scholarship award programs that look exclusively at Eagle Scouts across America, in an attempt to select the "Best Eagle Scout in the Nation". My applications were thorough, requiring a lot of research and writing to document my Scouting Career and Eagle Scout Project.  Once submitted, the review process was also long and equally thorough with the final award being announced on June 9th at the Department of Virginia, Veterans of Foreign Wars Annual Conference in Richmond, Virginia.

Reading the letters contained in the returned applications, I am thankful for the time and effort you placed in my letter and how much of an impact I know your letter offered in support of my applications.  I cannot thank you enough and I appreciate your time in drafting your letter of recommendation, and especially in your interest in my efforts to have my Scouting work and Eagle Scout Project honored at the national level.

Announcements for both awards can be viewed on: www.legion.org, "What We Do" and "Scouting", and www.vfw.org "Community" "Programs" "Scout of the Year". At this time my awards total over $10,000, and are being sent directly to Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, Virginia as part of my tuition, or being placed in my "book fund" to pay for books and school computer.

Thank you again for all you have done to make my Eagle Scout project special and for your time and effort in writing my letter of endorsement.  I feel that your words and letters made a difference.  As you can imagine, the competition is intense and when competing in a field of over 1,000 Eagle Scouts, every letter is scrutinized and does define success for each applicant.  Certainly, your letters made a difference for me.

Thank you for all you did towards my Eagle Scout Project, from Day 1 all the way to the End! It would not have been as successful without your help.

Yours in Scouting

Project Summary 

I was first introduced to the Landstuhl’s Wounded Warrior Ministry at Virginia’s 2007 American Legion Conference.  At this conference the American Legion talked about many things, including Landstuhl Medical Center. It was also at this time that I began thinking about my Eagle Scout project. My family and I looked up Landstuhl Medical Center to learn of the work undertaken by the Wounded Warrior Ministry. The Wounded Warrior Ministry Center provides clothing and personal items to injured service personnel flown in from Iraq and Afghanistan.  Understanding the need to provide items for this effort, I saw an opportunity to do good for those who gave much to their country.  While looking for information about Landstuhl and the Wounded Warrior Ministry Center, and how I could possibly involve my need for an Eagle Scout Project, I was directed to contact the Landstuhl’s Hospital Care Project (LHCP), and Ms. Gabriele Hammon, (LHCP’s Youth and Scout Coordinator).  In the following months, Ms. Hammon answered all my questions and offered a lot of guidance and encouragement.

By late fall, in 2007, I had my Eagle Scout project planned.  Throughout the planning process, my family was a big help. My older brother, Brian, is an Eagle Scout and provided a lot of encouragement. Both of my parents helped to organize my ideas and keep me straight when it got a little stressful.  By early 2008, my project had been written and approved. My overall goal within my project was to work with 20 religious, civic or youth organizations through which I would collect needed items, sending them to Landstuhl.  The plan was to approach each organization and meet with them. I would then make a presentation and request their support.  Ms. Hammon assisted me greatly, with ideas and suggestions, guiding me in the collection effort and coordinating the shipment of collected items. I found a lot of time is spent in making contacts, writing letters, scheduling the presentation and holding the collections. In the beginning, I thought the donations would be collected, inventoried and packaged for shipment by my troop, like they had been with the church collections.  But shortly after I began to contact civic organizations, I found that they preferred to provide monetary support.  Checks were registered with my troop, my dad and I would buy the needed items, and the troop would reimburse me when I presented receipts for the donated items.  I learned that churches provided great opportunities for me to collect items and immediately forward them to Landstuhl through Ms. Grimord.  My collection started in December 2007 and ended in early fall 2008.   

Over $10,000 in donations and materiel were collected and sent to the Wounded Warrior Ministry Center at no charge.   Approximately 300 man-hours were documented for this effort, involving Scouts, my family and my time in leading this project..

Over the past year, I learned many things.  I enjoyed working for our Wounded Warriors and meeting those who care about wounded veterans as much as I do.  The times Dad and I visited different churches and worshipped together were very special and I enjoyed meeting the parishioners and priests.  Collections involved a long process; I had to learn to be really patient.

Another important lesson was, planning ahead, (way ahead). Patience is very important during this type of Eagle Scout Project. Last, I learned to rely on Ms. Hammon and Ms. Grimord as mentors and guides, they have guided my efforts with friendly messages and much encouragement.  I could not have completed my Eagle Scout Project without there support.  Thank you Ms. Hammon and Ms. Grimord!