Palatine village council honors new Eagle Scouts

The Palatine village council this week recognized 21 local young men with certificates of achievement for their hard work to attain the rank of Eagle Scout.

Mayor Jim Schwantz stepped off the village council dais to hand the certificates to the new Eagle Scouts, who were accompanied by parents and others. Most of the 21 Scouts attended the meeting and gave a brief description of the community service project they performed to receive the highest rank in the Boy Scouts.

"It's awesome when we can bring greatness into our council chambers," Schwantz said in the packed room.

"And when we can bring Scouts and (young) individuals in, I can't help but think that I'm looking at the future leaders of our town, and of our state, and of our country. So, we're really proud of everybody and what they've done."

Hunter Conner of Boy Scout Troop 188 was among those who gave a synopsis of an Eagle project. He told the crowd he conducted recorded interviews with local veterans and sent a compact disc of them to the Library of Congress, where the work will remain.

Few Boy Scouts achieve the rank of Eagle. Arthur Eldred became the first Eagle in 1912, according to the national Boy Scouts organization.