Bob Bloss
Bob Bloss currently serves on the Heart of America Council's Board of Directors. He recently retired as the senior vice president of human resources at Hallmark Cards, Inc. He also served on the board of directors of Crown Media Holdings, Inc., a public company that operates the Hallmark Channel. Bob earned his Eagle Scout award as a member of Troop 69 in Booneville, Missouri in 1972.

Marc Elkins
Marc Elkins serves Scouting as a member of the Heart of America Council's Executive Committee. In his professional career, Marc is the Chief Compliance Officer and Associate General Counsel for Cerner Corporation. He is also active in his community serving as Chairman of the Leawood Planning Commission. Marc earned his Eagle Scout award in 1973 as a member of Troop 73 in Manhattan, Kansas.

Hugh Libby
Hugh Libby served his country as a member of the United States Navy during World War II. After the Navy, Hugh developed multiple companies in the welding and painting industries including the Libby Corporation, which became the largest manufacturer of military generators in the world. Hugh received his Eagle Scout badge in 1940 as a member of Troop 63 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Michael Rainen
Michael Rainen is a real estate developer with more than 20 years experience in multi-family apartments, condominium conversion, and industrial properties in the Kansas City area. He founded Rainen Companies in 1992 and has overseen the development of many award-winning properties. Michael earned his Eagle Scout Award in 1965 as a member of Troop 61 in Overland Park, Kansas.

The Heart of America Council established the Ewing M. Kauffman Distinguished Eagle Scout Award in cooperation with the Kauffman Foundation in 2010. The award recognizes adult Eagle Scouts who have excelled in their careers and have provided exemplary service to their community within the Heart of America Council territory. Ewing M. Kauffman earned his Eagle badge in 1932 as a member of Boy Scout Troop and Ship 100 at Faxon School in Kansas City, Missouri. Mr. Kauffman was active in Scouting throughout his life.

Bill Esry serves as President of Blue Ridge Bank.  Chuck Hoffman is President of Hoffman Management.  Zach Shafran is a Senior Vice President at Waddell & Reed.  Rev. Roger Jackson is the Presiding Elder at AME Church.  Congratulations to these outstanding Eagle Scouts!

The Heart of America Council established the Ewing M. Kauffman Distinguished Eagle Scout Award and annually presents it to Eagle Scouts in our community who have held to these high standards in their adult lives.  Recipients are selected based both on their contributions to Scouting and their contributions to the community, specifically the Kansas City area. 

Congratulations to William (Bill) Esry, Chuck Hoffman, Zachary Shafran, and Rev. Roger Jackson on being selected as Kauffman Eagle Scouts.  They will be presented with this honor at the Scout Day at the K on April 10^th.  The day will start with a presentation in the outfield around 11:00 a.m.  The recipients will then be recognized on the field in front of the entire stadium. More information about these distinguished gentlemen can be found on the HOAC website.

Eagle Scout Reception a Hit!

At the reception, Zane Schafer of Troop 1332, Blue Springs, MO, received the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award.  Myrl Wear, scoutmaster of Troop 93, Shawnee, KS, received the Paul D. Arend Distinguished Scoutmaster Award.  David Chinnery, Hon. Kenny Garrett, and Jason Grill were presented with the National Outstanding Eagle Scout Award in recognition of their support of the Kansas City community and the example they set for new Eagle Scouts. 

More than 900 Eagle Scouts were recognized for over 122,000 hours of community service on February 21, 2016 at the Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City.  In addition to being surrounded by family and friends, the Eagle Scouts were presented with a special challenge coin in order to encourage future involvement with Scouting and the community. 

Join Us at the K on April 10^th

If you are going to Scout Day at the K, we would love for you to join ^us for a Royal Gathering of Eagles!

The Eagle Alumni Association will be at Kauffman Stadium on April 9^th before the game to host the Royal Gathering of Eagles.  While tickets are sold out, Eagle Scouts in attendance are invited to join us in front of the outfield experience stage from 9:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. to network and learn more about the alumni association.  Alumni association representatives will be on-hand to sign-up new members as well.  At approximately 11:00 a.m., the Kauffman Eagle Scouts will be recognized on the outfield experience stage for their contributions to the community. 

Planning an Eagle Court of Honor? Request congratulatory letters!

Many of us can recall receiving a letter or two of congratulations upon earning our Eagle Scout award.  These letters come from politicians, celebrities, military personnel, and many others – sometimes even including a framed recognition or a commemorative flag.  If you are now in the position of recognizing a youth – whether your son, a youth in your troop, or another youth you have advised – you may be wondering how to request those letters. 

The first rule is to request the letters as soon as possible – depending on the letter-writer, these can take several weeks to arrive.  Some institutions have a formal process for handling these requests.  For example, you can contact your state legislator’s assistant or aide who will likely send you a form to complete to request a congratulatory resolution or letter.  Other letter-writers, such as a local business leader or a politician no longer in office may be writing these letters on their own without staff assistance. 

While the Mayor and your State Representative are common letter-writers, consider asking for letters from anyone who may be significant to the Eagle Scout.  Big fan of Mike Rowe?  He’s been known to write congratulatory letters.  Is the new Eagle wanting to go into medicine?  The head of a local hospital may be willing to write a congratulatory letter.  The possibilities are endless, and most individuals are willing to write a letter if you explain why you are requesting the letter from them. 

For more information and addresses of some common letter-writers, check out this great list by U.S. Scouting Service Project and these recommendations from Bryan Wendell at Bryan on Scouting.

Eagle Scout Reception to Honor Don Hall, Jr.

Royal Gathering of Eagles Back Again

Once again, the Royal Gathering of Eagles will take place during the annual Scout Day at the K when the Royals take on the Minnesota Twins on April 10^th. This year's Royal Gathering will again feature the presentation of the Kauffman Distinguished Eagle Scout Awards. If you have already purchased your tickets for Scout Day at the K, please plan to attend.

Gathering at Pinstripes

Thanks to all who attended our Eagle Scout meet-up at Pinstripes in November. A great time was enjoyed by those who attended. We plan to host more meet-ups around the Kansas City area next year. Interested in hosting or sponsoring a meet-up? Please let us know by emailing phillip.raine@gmail.com.

Upcoming Eagle Alumni Activity

November 8, 2015
4:00pm-6:00pm
at Pinstripes in Overland Park

This event is a chance for Kansas City area Eagle Scouts to meet other Eagle Scouts, build their Scouting network, and enjoy a fun event in an informal setting. All Kansas City area Eagle Scouts and their families are welcome to attend. No reservation is required, and you are only expected to pay for what you want to do at Pinstripes. Dress is casual - no scout uniforms needed. If you have any questions, please email Phil Raine at phillip.raine@gmail.com. We hope to see you there — and bring an Eagle Scout friend, as well!

More than 1,200 Scouts and Scout families made their way to Municipal Music Hall on February 22 to honor three generations of Eagle Scouts. The 2014 David M. Lockton Eagle Scout Class Reception recognized more than 200 members of the 2014 Eagle Scout Class as well as Eagle Scouts from the 1964 and 1989 classes who were celebrating their 50th and 25th anniversaries.

In 2014, 675 young men were awarded their Eagle Scout badge in the Heart of America Council — that’s more than twice the national average. Eagle Scouts in 2014 also donated more than 85,000 hours of community service through Eagle Scout projects. Members of the 2014 class who attended this year’s reception were presented a limited edition challenge coin and were included in the official Eagle Scout class photo. Attendees can order their very own commemorative photo here.

This year’s reception also featured the presentation of the Paul D. Arend Distinguished Scoutmaster Award and the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award. The Paul D. Arend Distinguished Scoutmaster Award is presented annually to a Heart of America Council Scoutmaster who has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to the values of the Scout Oath and Law and to the mentorship of Eagle Scouts. This year’s award was presented to Scoutmaster David McCaughey from Troop 1195 in Lee’s Summit, MO.

The 2015 Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award was presented to Eagle Scout Andrew Clark from Troop 282 in Leawood, KS. Andrew’s Eagle Scout project was conducted at his church, Leawood Presbyterian. Andrew, along with Scouts from Troop 282, constructed a bridge across a creek at the church. The project was designed to allow riding lawnmowers and other equipment to move around the property easier and to help the church use the land more effectively.

Special thanks to everyone that attended especially David Lockton, Chairman, Lockton Companies, our 2014 Eagle Scout Honoree. 

A Royal Gathering at the K

Eagle Profile