Eagle Scouts receive recognition from Palatine council

Nine young men were honored at this week's Palatine village council session for achieving the highest honor in the Boy Scouts.

Palatine Mayor Jim Schwantz stepped to the front of the council dais to present certificates of recognition to those who achieved the Eagle Scout rank within the past year.

Boy Scout Troop 209 Scoutmaster Mike Blanck spoke with pride about the teenagers in attendance.

"It's Eagle Scout," Blanck said. "It's huge. For all of the Scouting family members that are here today, you guys know the journey. You know what these guys had to do."

Among the honorees was Carson Vitosh of Troop 209, which is sponsored by the First United Methodist Church Men's Club of Palatine. For his Eagle Scout project, he worked with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, with his late mother serving as his inspiration.

"I worked with the local outreach in the community and I set up a picnic for the local cancer survivors," Vitosh said.

"And that was awesome getting to hear their stories and their struggles advocating for themselves now that they're cancer-free or still fighting it."

Blanck said the Eagle Scout project was a small part of what's needed to gain the prestigious rank. Eagle Scouts are found to consistently perform to the best of their personal ability and exceed expectations.

"For us as a council, we are excited about what you've done to this point, what you've done in our community, of course, and what you're going to do in the future," Schwantz told the Eagle Scouts.