Troop 140 Scoutmaster Dale Streichert at a retirement party in his honor Saturday, March 21. Mr. Streichert leaves the troop after 18 years as scoutmaster, and graduating 31 Eagle Scouts. Fewer than 5% of the boys who join the Boy Scouts of America earn the rank of Eagle Scout, scouting's highest award. That's not many, considering more than 34 million boys have joined scouting since its beginning in 1912. The late President Gerald R. Ford, astronaut Neil Armstrong, and filmmaker Steven Spielberg all earned Eagle Scout status.

So did Dale Streichert, former scoutmaster of Cedarville Troop 140, who was feted at a retirement dinner March 21.

Mr. Streichert, 60, joined the Boy Scouts in 1964, earned the rank of Eagle three years later, and has been involved in scouting ever since. For the last 18 years he has served as scoutmaster of Troop 140, and during his 45 years of scouting he has helped 31 other scouts attain the rank of Eagle.

"My goal in scouting was to make everybody that came into my troop an Eagle Scout," he said.

Mr. Streichert has handed over leadership of the troop to his assistant for the last four years, Dale Malkowski, but he intends

to contribute in a lesser capacity.

"I want to stay active in scouting because this country needs scouts. This country is trying to get back to the ideals that scouting has never left," he said. "I'm never going to quit scouting."

About 50 people attended the retirement dinner for Mr. Streichert Saturday, March 21, at the Clark Township Community Center, and gave him a standing ovation as he accepted a plaque from Mr. Malkowski for his years of dedicated service.

Mr. Streichert will help with the troop on occasion, but spend his retirement living in both Cedarville and Merrill, where he will work on the family farm he grew up on. This summer and fall, he plans to spend a few days with the troop at camp.

He attributes the high number of scouts to earn Eagle under his watch to hard working boys with supportive parents.

"I have found over my many years that we usually get the cream of the crop. They're usually scholastically doing very well in school, they're involved in the church, they're involved in sports, and they still find time for scouting," he said. "It's not me. It's the parents and the kids."

That's not to say he's never pushed his scouts to earn an extra merit badge or two. He said he wouldn't let scouts sit around all day during summer camp when they could be earning merit badges.

"I don't want you coming to camp to earn one stinkin' merit badge that you could've earned back home," he said, using the "Cooking" merit badge as an example.

"I push them hard at camp for merit badges. You got to get the ones that are tough to get. Get them up here [at camp]; this is the easiest way for you to do it."

He required every new scout attending summer camp with him for the first time to earn the "Wilderness Survival" merit badge, in which scouts have to learn to survive using only what can be found in the woods. They spend a night in the wilderness in a lean-to shelter they make from sticks and fallen branches.

"Just in case 30 years down the road he's stranded, it may come back and save him," he said of the experience.

Scouts must earn a minimum of 21 merit badges, 12 of which are specifically required, before turning 18 to earn the rank of Eagle. They must also organize and complete a community service project approved by a board of review, as well as pass a handful of other leadership and citizenship requirements. Scouts earn five ranks along the trail to Eagle; Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, and Life Scout ranks.

Mr. Streichert leaves the troop with 19 scouts, 13 of them Life Scouts working to earn their Eagle awards.

Mr. Malkowski already has activities planned to help them advance.

"We are planning on doing as many outings as we can, camping, hiking, learning about the outdoors, and working on earning some badges along the way," Mr. Malkowski said. "Doing this helps the boys advance in their ranks and be able to achieve their Eagle."

He said he is honored to take over as scoutmaster and will be assisted by Ray Shebel and Scott Strait. All three have sons in the troop.

"It's just nice to know that it's going to keep going. It's not like I'm stepping aside and it's going to fall flat on its face and it's over," Mr. Streichert said.