Posted 11:13 pm Sunday, February 17, 2013
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Hispanic program produces first Eagle Scout
BY Victor Texcucano
vtexcucano@tylerpaper.com
Boy Scouts around East Texas have reason to celebrate. Juan C. Ramos of Troop 190 was honored Saturday at the Tyler Rose Garden with an Eagle Court of Honor ceremony, celebrating his reaching of Eagle Scout rank.
vtexcucano@tylerpaper.com
Boy Scouts around East Texas have reason to celebrate. Juan C. Ramos of Troop 190 was honored Saturday at the Tyler Rose Garden with an Eagle Court of Honor ceremony, celebrating his reaching of Eagle Scout rank.
Ramos is the first Eagle Scout to come from the Hispanic Scouting Program. Eagle Scout is the highest-attainable rank in Boy Scouts.
The Hispanic Scouting Program started in 2000 in Tyler as an outreach with the purpose of encouraging young Hispanic boys in the area to get into Scouting, something not common among the Hispanic community, Gus Cantarero, Troop 190 Scout master, said.
Cantarero said of all Scouts nationwide, only 4 percent go on to reach the Eagle Scout level, demonstrating the level of willpower Ramos had to have to reach this honor.
“He’s a smart boy. He’s shy. He doesn’t like to speak much, but he like things to be done,” he said. “He is very devoted to Scouting and he enjoys being outdoors. He’s a sharp, smart boy.”
To reach an Eagle Scout level, scouts must receive at least 21 badges, of which 12 are mandatory, like first aid and personal fitness badges.
Scouts must also demonstrate Scout spirit and leadership. Scouts also must plan and carry out an Eagle Service Project, a project benefiting the community.
Ramos chose to build 30 birdhouses around the Tyler Rose Garden, spread through the entire grounds of the facilities.
Ramos, who is a senior at Robert E. Lee High School in Tyler, said he has enjoyed his time in the Scouts, and while it wasn’t a goal of his to reach Eagle Scout rank when he started at 5 years old, he eventually realized the significance and devoted himself to reaching that goal.
Ramos plans to attend college after high school, and get into the medical field because he enjoys helping people, he said.
Ramos’ mother, Charon Ramos, said she is extremely proud of her son.
She said her son got into Scouting through her encouragement, since her brother had been a Scout in his youth in Mexico. Mrs. Ramos said she wanted her son to have a love of nature, so the Boy Scouts was a natural fit.
Cantarero said of all Scouts nationwide, only 4 percent go on to reach the Eagle Scout level, demonstrating the level of willpower Ramos had to have to reach this honor.
“He’s a smart boy. He’s shy. He doesn’t like to speak much, but he like things to be done,” he said. “He is very devoted to Scouting and he enjoys being outdoors. He’s a sharp, smart boy.”
To reach an Eagle Scout level, scouts must receive at least 21 badges, of which 12 are mandatory, like first aid and personal fitness badges.
Scouts must also demonstrate Scout spirit and leadership. Scouts also must plan and carry out an Eagle Service Project, a project benefiting the community.
Ramos chose to build 30 birdhouses around the Tyler Rose Garden, spread through the entire grounds of the facilities.
Ramos, who is a senior at Robert E. Lee High School in Tyler, said he has enjoyed his time in the Scouts, and while it wasn’t a goal of his to reach Eagle Scout rank when he started at 5 years old, he eventually realized the significance and devoted himself to reaching that goal.
Ramos plans to attend college after high school, and get into the medical field because he enjoys helping people, he said.
Ramos’ mother, Charon Ramos, said she is extremely proud of her son.
She said her son got into Scouting through her encouragement, since her brother had been a Scout in his youth in Mexico. Mrs. Ramos said she wanted her son to have a love of nature, so the Boy Scouts was a natural fit.
John McDougald, Okee Tuklo District director, said Ramos’ Eagle Scout honor was a big step for the Hispanic Scouting Program.
“It’s a huge deal. We started the program in 2000, and we virtually had no boys involved in Hispanic Scouting,” he said. “We had to make sure we made an impact on that community. We knew we were underserving that area.”
McDougald said they knew it would take some time to get Hispanic boys involved in Scouting, because it’s not really part of their culture. He said they had to build trust with the boys in the area, as well as their families.
McDougald said the Hispanic program now serves almost 1,100 boys in Tyler.
“It’s a huge deal. We started the program in 2000, and we virtually had no boys involved in Hispanic Scouting,” he said. “We had to make sure we made an impact on that community. We knew we were underserving that area.”
McDougald said they knew it would take some time to get Hispanic boys involved in Scouting, because it’s not really part of their culture. He said they had to build trust with the boys in the area, as well as their families.
McDougald said the Hispanic program now serves almost 1,100 boys in Tyler.
