Harford Eagles honored - Archdiocese of Baltimore

The Ronald J. Engle Memorial Scout Foundation presented its first annual Legacy and Courage Awards.

The awards and $500 college scholarships are presented to Eagle Scouts who live in Harford County and are either high school seniors or first-year college students.

Brad Mascari, a member of Troop 810 at St. Francis de Sales in Abingdon and a student at Harford Community College, won the Legacy Award, which was created in memory of the late Ronald J. Engle, Ph.D., an Eagle Scout and educator.

A.J. Eckstein, a member of Troop 973 and student at Washington College, won the Courage Award, which is given in memory of another Eagle Scout from Bel Air, Navy explosives expert David S. Roddy, who was killed in Iraq in 2006.

The event coincided with Troop 810’s Memorial Day Honor Garden service at St. Frances de Sales, which was dedicated to Christopher O. Moudry, a former Scout and Army staff sergeant who was killed in combat in Iraq in 2006. His parents are parishioners of St. Francis de Sales.

Thanks to Kevin Parks, a Troop 810 adult leader, for supplying that information.

Service Day

For what will soon be 100 years, the Boy Scouts of America has prided itself on its service – to God, our communities and country. Sometimes the service is not to a person or group, but in support of another organization dedicated to helping others. Such was the case when more than 75 volunteers from Cub Scout Pack 810, Boy Scout Troop 810 and Venture Crew 810 spruced up the sponsoring parish, St. Francis de Sales in Abingdon.

Parishioners of the “Church on the Hill,” as it’s called by Cardinal William H. Keeler, an Eagle Scout himself, have been most generous in their support of Scouting and other service organizations. Now it was time to give back.

Crews of volunteers took to the church and its grounds to clean, scrub, rake, paint and do whatever else they were asked to help make the church sparkle inside and out during the first Youth Service Day.

The Scouts were joined by the High School Journey in Faith group and others. The day ended with the Knights of Columbus from Father Maurice J. Wolfe Council 11372 and Knights of Columbus Ladies providing everyone with a well-deserved lunch.

Karl Houser is a member of Boy Scouts of America’s Baltimore Area Council membership committee. Scout news may be sent to him at khouser@eblengineers.com.