A record year for Eagles

A record number of Scouts — 152 — achieved the rank of Eagle in the NWSC in 2003. Congratulations to all! Their names are listed in our just-published 2003 Council Annual Report. Here is a story of one of those Eagles and a candidate in progress.

Mike Yacktman's trail to Eagle took him back to the beginning of life — Mike's life. Putting together a project to benefit Lutheran General Hospital seemed natural since Mike's family has a long associated at LGH, where Mike was born.

The Buffalo Grove High School junior noticed their supply of books for young patients was dated and tattered, so he organized a book drive to improve the collection. After many months and a 1300 hours of work, Mike and others collected 2,000 books for the Pediatrics ward. That total includes 500 books on tape narrated by people Mike recruited.

"I gained a lot of confidence, and I blossomed as a leader," Mike says. "I learned a lot about communication, and my organization skills are off the roof!" Mike calculates he invested 600 hours in his project.

Ryan Crabbe knows about time. He gathered up as much of it as he could, and then gave it away! Ryan, a 17-year-old senior at St. Viator, put together an Eagle project called "G-I Phone Home". The mission was to collect telephone calling cards and send them to service men and women. Ryan's church and community responded with more than $10,000 worth of calling cards presented to the USO.

"I learned about perseverance", says Ryan. "You can' t be afraid to ask. And when I presented the cards, you should have seen those smiling faces!"


  • Scout Executive's Minute
  • Time to think about Tigers
  • Know the facts about recruitment
  • Come to Jambo Rally night
  • Wilderness First Aid Course
  • Cool Outings! Ski Trip
  • GO Venturing!
  • Are you ready for Scout Sunday?
  • Will you join us at Philmont?
  • Brig. Gen. Halley to salute Scouting
  • Red Cross reaches BSA agreement
  • Think Spring - Think Recruitment
  • Scouter Of the month
  • Scout Salutes
  • The Scout Shop Scoop

    		• Meet John Frieburg, NWSC president

    John Frieburg’s love of Scouting blossomed years ago at summer camp. Back then, the boys of Troop 7 in Arlington Heights spent two weeks at Napowan each summer, and cooking all meals over a fire.

    They even dug their own latrines!

    “Nobody cared for that job,” John says, but the “wilderness camping” made for valuable lessons in time management and self-sufficiency.

    Today John Frieburg — Eagle Scout and Silver Beaver recipient — is president of Harris Bank-Rolling Meadows. Last month he became president of the Northwest Suburban Council. As he looks ahead to that role, John has his eye on Napowan.

    “It’s so important to upgrade what we have,” he says. “It’s served us well, but it’s tired.”

    That means “nailing down plans” for a new dining hall and raising the money for it.

    Building on the success of ScoutReach, and “broadening the base of adult volunteers” are other goals as John teams with Scout Executive Steve Taylor to fashion a more “user-friendly” council operation.

    Scouting is in Frieburg’s blood. His grandfather and father were in Scouting. His brother and son are Eagles. A Boundary Waters and Philmont veteran, he’s also charter rep for Troop 461. Like many Scouters, John fondly remembers his Scoutmaster from those “wilderness” days. “Otis Johnson, a quiet, unassuming man who taught us leadership,” John says.

    Johnson would be pleased that two of his boys have become Council President: Doug Chidley, who just completed three years in the job, and Frieburg, who will guide us into 2004
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