Troop 223 Celebrates 1,000th Eagle Scout During Annual Court of Honor

By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor

The Boy Scouts of America, Pacific Palisades Troop 223, celebrated an Eagle Court of Honor on Tuesday, November 26, which marked a “significant milestone” of the 1,000th scout to earn the rank of Eagle in the troop, the highest rank in the Scouts BSA program.

“This is a rare, if not the first ever, milestone for a Scouts troop to achieve,” according to a statement. “The milestone reflects the ongoing progress of the Scouts BSA in fostering leadership skills and character development across diverse communities. The Eagle Scout rank represents years of hard work, dedication, leadership and community service.”

The Eagle Scout rank is an accomplishment earned by only a small percentage of Scouts, according to the statement. Approximately 6% of those who enter the program achieve the ranking.

The event—which took place at Skirball Cultural Center’s Guerin Pavilion—brought together scouts, families, friends and supporters to celebrate the individuals and their service to the community.

“Newly minted Eagle Scouts … received their pins from their families and special scout neckerchiefs with the new Troop logo,” according to the statement. “They are the first Eagle Scouts to receive such scarves.”

The event featured a presentation of Eagle Scout awards to recipients, slideshows of the ranking scouts of their time throughout scouting, and influential community leaders and special guests were invited to share words of encouragement and celebrate the achievement.

“Commendations from some of our nation’s most prominent figures are presented and read to the Eagles,” the statement continued. “In past years, members of congress and senate—even past presidents—have sent in their congratulations.”

Longtime Scoutmaster and Palisadian Mike Lanning gave a tribute to the ranking scouts. He has been with the troop for one of the longest tenures in Boy Scouts history.

Lanning was gifted a plaque during the ceremony to commemorate and celebrate having 1,000 scouts to earn the rank of Eagle.

Troop 223, founded in 1952, has had over 2,000 young men and women go through the program. The scoutmasters for the boy’s troop and the girl’s troop are among the longest serving scoutmasters in America.

“Scouts BSA is a youth program of the Boy Scouts of America that provides young people with opportunities to develop leadership skills, build confidence and perform service projects that benefit their communities,” the statement concluded.