Congratulations, Dallas!

It was a beautiful evening for an Eagle Court of Honor. The location was a bird sanctuary just a couple hundred yards away from where Dallas completed his Eagle project. The backdrop is a memorial to the sons of Carmichael who died in the Vietnam conflict.

The color guards were struggling behind the bush there to fasten the U.S. and troop flags onto the pole line while the "captain" of the guard was struggling to look dignified in his "non-regulation" shorts and t-shirt.

At first it looked like the family would be the only ones in the audience but eventually it turned into a reasonable crowd.

Off to the side in a section of honor, these six men and older boys had already received their Eagle rank in scouting. Their function is to lend weight and respect to the procedures this day.

There was a minimum number of speakers, certificates, and congratulatory awards and many of those on the program were by family members.

Mom was there with a sash full of "Mom's" badges, the little replica badges that they give to the moms when a boy earns a rank. There is a row for each son. Not each child has completed his eagle rank requirements, a fact which Karen accepts with tolerance and love. But you can also tell that she is especially proud of those rows ending with an Eagle .

Scoutmaster Braun awards Dallas his Eagle badge, parents' badges, and new Eagle neckerchief and slide.

After the closing flag ceremony, the closing prayer, and the closing word from the Scoutmaster, the crowd dismissed to the refreshment table to help make the cookies and punch disappear.

From here some of us walked to the chain and steel fence that represents the fence that Dalla completed as part of his Eagle project.