A Spectacular Court of Honor Ceremony Hosted at ICN by Boy Scouts of America Troop 99

A Spectacular Court of Honor Ceremony Hosted at ICN by Boy Scouts of America Troop 99

Boy Scouts of America Troop 99's Fall 2015 Court of Honor ceremony was hosted at its chartering organization. The event, held on December 6th, 2015, was a memorable occasion for approximately 55 Boy Scouts who received their Rank Advancements, Merit Badges, and other Awards, in the presence of their parents, Troop Leaders, Three Fires Council representative, Troop Leaders from Troop 317, and officials from the ICN board. This also gave the Scouts an opportunity to renew their commitment to develop sound character and become better citizens. Over 160 guests attended the event which boosted the morale of the Scouts.

The event began with a crisp Flag Ceremony by the older scouts, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America.

The scouts, parents, and the guests observed a moment of silence in the memory of the victims of San Bernardino shooting.

Mark Truckenbrod, representing Friends of Scouting, spoke on the occasion. He acknowledged the growth in the number of Boy Scouts from 8 to a staggering 55, in a short span of time, under the aegis of the ICN, and said that it is a worth-emulating achievement.

Continuing his address, Mark said that the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is a platform to develop youth into super leaders. "The journey of Boy Scouts does not end by becoming leaders; they continue it by empowering their team members too to emerge as leaders," he added.

"Our society, which is 'over-managed' and 'under-led', desperately needs a large number of leaders at different rungs of organizations in all walks of life. The BSA, therefore, is an important step in the direction of closing the gap between the demand and supply of leaders," opined Mark.

"In addition to developing leadership, BSA provides a program for youth which builds their character, trains them in the responsibilities of citizenship in the Nation, and develops personal fitness with a view to building a conscientious, responsible, and productive society," said Mark with a sense of pride.

Aadil Farid, President, ICN and former Scout Master for the Troop, said that Boy Scouts are expected to be Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent. "These characteristics have been universal in nature, across time and space. All Prophets of God, including Noah, Abraham, Moses, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon, Jesus Christ, and Mohammed (Peace Be Upon All of Them), possessed these socially-desirable traits in abundant measure," added Farid.

"Boy Scouts are trained to do their duty to God and to their country, to obey the Scout Law, to help other people at all times, and to keep themselves physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. This makes the ICN Troop 99 a vibrant part of our community," concluded Farid.

Khalid Ghori, Troop's Scout Master said that the Court of Honor Ceremony should not be considered as the end of the journey by the Boy Scouts. He urged them to take a pledge to continue to use the qualities of a Boy Scout during their entire lifetime.

Ghori advised the Boy Scouts to be ever ready to come forward and take initiative to contribute their might and skills for the collective good of the society, instead of waiting for such opportunities to knock at their doors.

Aiman Beg, BSA Troop 99 Committee Chair & ICN Chartered Organization Representative for Scouting, congratulated the Boy Scouts for serving the community by taking part in a number of service-based initiatives. He advised the Scouts to not only have fun being part of the program, but also ensure the practice and application of the Scout Law in their daily lives. He also underscored the exponential growth the ICN Scouting Program has seen. "Within 3 years, the program's enrollment has increased to approximately 175 scouts, comprising Boys, Girls and Cubs Scouts', he added.

The Rank Advancement, Merit Badges, and State of Illinois Recognition certificates were awarded by SM Khalid Ghori, ASM's Haroon Shah and Omar Ali, SM Keith Tenczar, Mark Truckenbrod and Aiman Beg. Troop 99's Advancement Chair, Amer Kazmi, Treasurer, Tahir Hasib and Outdoor Activities Coordinator Salamath Khan were also in attendance.

Additionally, as part of Troop 99's support and commitment to Scouting, the membership contributed generously to the Friends of Scouting funds and met its 2016 goal for raising funds in 2015. Finally, as a gesture of Troop 99 and Troop 317 strong Scouting partnership, Troop 99 contributed $500 to Friends of Scouting on behalf of Troop 317. Troop 317 had earlier donated its valuable camping equipment to Troop 99.

Earlier, Humza Ghori, a Patrol Leader, welcomed the guests. The vote of thanks was proposed by Maaz Ahmed, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader.

The event concluded with a sumptuous lunch which was relished by everyone.