September 7, 2016
A family tradition Around Town
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Girl Scouts go for the gold
Feature Section
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Living Well
Studens excel at SkillsUSA Nicholas Short (center) stands with his father Scott Short (right) and his mother Christina Short at Nicholas’ Eagle Scout Ceremony on Aug. 25.
Submitted photo
Business
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Kangen Water grand opening
A Fort Zumwalt West student earns the rare distinction of becoming a third-generation Eagle Scout By Brett Auten With his recent achievement, a Fort Zumwalt West sophomore made it backto-back-to-back for his family Nicholas Short of O’Fallon became the third generation in his family to have earned the highest ranking in the Boy Scouts of America, becoming an Eagle Scout. Nicholas accomplished the rank just after his 15th birthday in April. Short received the honor at a formal ceremony on Aug. 25 at Our Savior Lutheran Church located in St. Charles during a Troop 975 ceremony. In attendance was St. Charles Mayor Sally Faith. Short received an invitation from O’Fallon mayor Bill Hennessy to an upcoming city council meeting to congratulate and present him with a proclamation from the mayor and city council members. Nicholas earned the rank two years earlier than his dad, Scott Short, and two years earlier than the 2015’s average age of an Eagle Scout. Scott Short received his Eagle in 1982 in Tampa, Florida. Nicholas also followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, Ronald Short, who
achieved this rank in 1955 in Moline, Illinois. “It’s more than a medal or a patch,” Scott Short said. “It shows at a young age the determination and the ability to stay focused. It is a good indicator of a child’s future and his success. I don’t know his future but I know he can achieve being an Eagle Scout and that he can succeed in life.” Nicholas also out-did his dad in merit badges earned along the way. Nicholas tallied 40, four more than his dad and doubled what is required to achieve the Eagle rank. He also earned 16 more than his grandfather. “We did not push him into scouting,” Scott Short said. “It wasn’t a mandate. We didn’t push him. It naturally evolved.” Only six-percent of those who join the Boy Scouts will achieve Eagle Scout and the odds of three consecutive generations earning the highest rank is quite a mathematical problem to figure out. A requirement of the Eagle rank is to perform an Eagle Scout Service Project, which provided Nicholas the opportu-
nity to demonstrate leadership of others, while performing a project for the benefit of his community. Nicholas’s project was constructing and installing two spectator benches in the area of the Track& Field for Lutheran High School. He saw the need when watching the elderly, the handicapped, and expecting mothers not having a place to sit while watching family and friends compete in the discus or shot put. “I remember I was in the fifth grade and all the mom’s and dad’s had to sit on the grass and on a steep incline to watch,” Nicholas said. “It was around February 2014 when I built the benches. I just simply wanted to give the people some place to sit.” As a youngster, Nicholas joined the Cub Scouts and progressed through ranks and eventually he earned the Webelos badge with many pins, followed by the highest rank in Cub Scouting, the Arrow of Light. This rank prepares a Webelos Scout to become a Boy Scout. See EAGLE page 2
Learn & Play
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Movie: ‘Sully’
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Eat like a farmer
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