Ray Mongeau/Citizen photo Parker Raus pins the mother's Eagle Scout pin on his mother, Holly Raus, during Saturday's Eagle Scout induction ceremony at the Gilford Library.
GILFORD — Scouting's highest honor was presented Saturday to a man in the community whose years of work resulted in attaining the rank of Eagle Scout.
Parker Raus, a sophomore at Gilford High School, was presented the badge during a ceremony at the Gilford Public Library.
Raus was escorted to the front of the room by his mother Holly and father Bob, who is also an assistant scoutmaster.
He also had visitors from across the country, including his grandparents from Rochester, N.Y., and his old scoutmaster from Boca Raton, Fla. A webcast was being done as well to let relatives in other areas see the ceremony.
"We're proud of you, Parker. We also have concerns and wishes and joys for boys around the country," said Carl Gebhardt, scoutmaster for Troop 243.
Eagle Scout is the highest rank for a Boy Scout, achieved after four years of consistent service and hard work. The rank is attained by only one percent of Boy Scouts, with the first Eagle Badge in Troop 234 being given in 1957.
Raus started his scouting career in his old home of Boca Raton, Fla., under scoutmaster Charlie Glover.
Glover said the troop would go to summer camp with another troop from North Carolina. Glover and the other scoutmaster discussed Raus' progress and both agreed they'd want to go to his Eagle ceremony if possible.
The other scoutmaster was not able to attend, but sent his congratulations with Glover.
"This is the joy I personally get in scouting, seeing young men go from the little blue-shirted guys in the back to an adult on the verge of something great," Glover said, calling ceremonies like Saturday's "an example to set for our community and our young children. I think that's what it's about, not just congratulating him on a wonderful job done, not just welcoming him in the Eagle Scout fraternity."
Raus moved to Gilford more than two years ago and settled into Troop 243. Fellow scout Albert Doyle recalled how he met Raus as a neighbor before the rest of the troop met him. Doyle said Raus has a "passion for playing guitar" and owns seven stringed instruments, including a bass guitar, mandolin, and others.
Raus has "learned to play all of them" since he came to Gilford, Doyle said.
Doyle recalled skiing trips with the troop, including Raus getting lost at Sunday River and his father trying to get a hold of him on his cell phone before he returned to the group.
aus' Eagle Scout Project was constructing a puppet theater for the new Gilford Library, a project that Raus said took more than 300 hours to complete with much help from his father.
"Parker is always up for a challenge," Doyle said. "He is always committed."
Bob Raus spoke of how he started scouting and found the Boy Scouts teaches important lessons.
"For my son to reach Eagle means a lot to me," Bob Raus said. "To me it embodies what we want this world to be. When he was 11 and I was an assistant scoutmaster, he said to me 'dad, I want to be an Eagle. I said 'I can tell you have the spirit of an Eagle.'"
Bob and Holly Raus both said there were many challenges along the way to attaining Eagle, though both his parents, especially his mother, pushed and encouraged him to do the necessary work.
Holly Raus pinned the Eagle badge onto her son as Bob Raus presented the Eagle certificate.
Letters of congratulation from the Gilford Board of Selectmen, Gov. John Lynch, Executive Councilor Ray Burton, U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg, and President Bush, among others, also were presented.
Parker Raus said the next step is working toward Eagle Palms, a series of badges awarded to Eagle Scouts.
"I'm just happy that all these people are here for me," Raus said. "It means a lot, and all these people who come from far away."
Robert Raus presents his son Parker Raus with the Eagle Scout certificate while Parker's mother, Holly, looks on during Saturday afternoon's Eagle Scout induction ceremony at the Gilford Library. Ray Mongeau/ Citizen photo
Ray Mongeau/Citizen photo Parker Raus's mother, Holly Raus, pins on the Eagle badge during Saturday afternoon's Eagle Scout induction ceremony at the Gilford Library.
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