Boy Scout Troop 325
Scoutmaster Minute
Oldest Scout to Earn Eagle
September 25, 2007
Larry Polyak, Scoutmaster

On July 28th 2007, Walter Hart of Fort Meyers, Florida became the oldest person ever to be awarded the rank of Eagle Scout. He is 88 years old.

Hart joined the Cub Scouts in 1928 in Malden, Mass., and earned 23 merit badges during his years as a Boy Scout. He completed all the requirements neccessary at the time to earn the rank of Eagle, but it all got set aside when he joined the Navy during World War II. He served two years aboard the USS Alfred A Cunningham.

Walter Hart of Fort Myers, Fla., is shown in his old Boy Scouts of America uniform.

Last year, he rediscovered some of this old Boy Scout memorabilia including documents that showed he completed all the requirements for the rank of Eagle Scout. He contacted the Scouts about receiving his award. The Boy Scouts of America decided to honor Mr. Hart by finally giving him the Eagle Scout award for which he had worked so hard so long ago.

"I've been looking forward to this for a long time," said Hart, who now lives in a retirement center in nearby Lehigh Acres. His daughter Elizabeth said "I think this was something that was always on his mind, but every time he went to go do it, something else came up. I know how hard he's tried to get to this point." A spokesperson for the Boy Scouts said that he is likely the oldest person ever to receive the award.

Now... I hesitated to tell you this story, figuring that some of you guys would think "You mean I don't really have to get all my paperwork in by the time I am 18?". No, that's not the case. This of course was a special situation, and an honoring of one of our veterans from World War II.

The point of ths story is that Mr. Hart was a boy who worked hard to achieve the Eagle Scout honor, but he put his personal recognition aside to serve our country in the Navy. He then raised a family, putting other people's needs ahead of his own. Yet for more than 70 years the experiences and the values of the Boy Scouts stayed with him. Becoming an Eagle Scout still meant something to him.

My hope... for all of you guys... whether you reach Tenderfoot or Eagle... is that the values you learn in scouting, stay with you for a long time to come.

Thanks for listening.