This has been a wonderful two months for Company "A." We have participated in twenty Eagle Courts of Honor, some with Company "B," We manned a booth (our teepee) at the recent Scout-a-rama on Friday and Saturday, May 3-4.
At Saturday's parade, we were part of the honor guard (with Co. "B" and the National Staff) preceding the carriage with President and Sister Hinckley-he being the honorary Grand Marshall. We look forward to the special Memorial Day grave marking in Minersville for Charles Jameson and Jerome Zabriskie. This is especially memorable because Lt. Allen Jameson and Lt. Grant Wood of Co. "A" are the descendants of Pvt. Jameson and are related to Pvt. Zabriskie.
Our monthly meetings have been outstanding! Kim Burningham, who was the executive director of the Centennial Commission, gave insights into the lives of some of the Church leaders in the 1800's. Pres. F. Michael Watson, secretary to the First Presidency, spoke about his own ancestors who were in the original Battalion. We also have two more life members! May we all continue to have success in spreading the "Good News of the Mormon Battalion."
The Great Salt Lake Council (BSA) publishes the Cub Scout Trainer Newsletter, 'Telescout." We are mentioned in it. For their recent "Cub Power" Leadership Training Conference, we did the flag ceremony. The theme of the conference was "Heroes," so they naturally thought of the Mormon Battalion! With the participation of some modern "heroes" of the National Staff, Capt. Ed Bitton, Capt. Jerry Anderson, and Lt. Don Shurtz did an impressive flag ceremony for which the scout leaders were most complimentary.
Our big event was the Scout-a-rama, May 3-4, at which we successfully manned a booth, consisting of a display of posters, flyers, the USMB video, our Buffalo Head neckerchief slide, the BSA Mormon Trail patch, and a T-shirt (trail award), not to mention maps, a historic photo presentation, and an 1846 roster of all Battalion members. Needless to say, our booth attracted much attention and numerous direct descendants registered with us as potential members-a most successful event[
Our greatest thrill was being part of the U.S. Mormon Battalion contingent which formed the honor guard for our Prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley. He shook hands with many of the scouts before the parade started, but with us older "scouts," he just shook hands, Chinese style, as he clasped his hands and shook them in our direction (and we shook back!). In his brief remarks before the assembled 50,000+ scouts and leaders, he made the scout sign and repeated the Scout Oath--which he had made 74 years ago when he joined the BSA, and said, "Oh, if only everyone would live up to that oath!" We are looking forward to greater successes!
We quote from the Deseret News: "Lyman S. Willardson, emeritus professor of biological and irrigation engineering at Utah State University, was recently honored as the 1995 inductee to the Drainage Hall of Fame at Ohio State University. The honor comes from the International Program for Water Management in Agriculture. The Hall of Fame citation notes Willardson's contributions to modern agricultural irrigation, his frequent consulting work of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, and World Bank. Wiilardson's career in irrigation and drainage engineering spans more than 42 years." We are justly proud of Lt. Willardson's accomplishments and this deserved honor. He is currently one of our most devoted officers.