Since the founding of the Boy Scouts in 1910, there have been nearly 104 million registered members – a mere 4% of these Scouts meet the requirements necessary to achieve the status of “Eagle Scout,” the highest achievable rank. Scouts have been found in countless prominent positions; Former U.S. President Gerald Ford was a Scout, along with filmmakers Michael Moore and Steven Spielberg, Walmart Founder Sam Walton, and U.S. Army Four Star General William Westmoreland. Of 301 total astronauts, 180 were Boy Scouts while 40 of them were Eagle Scouts, including the first person to ever set foot on the Moon, Neil Armstrong. California boasts the highest concentration of these Eagle Scouts than any other state across the nation with nearly 200,000 members. One of those select few is Dons Senior Charlie Molitor, member of Solana Beach troop #782, who recently was designated the prestigious status of Eagle Scout.

“It was always my goal to be and Eagle Scout, since that is scouting’s highest rank,” said Molitor. He’s been scouting since the fifth grade, a pioneer for his two brothers who followed in his footsteps to become scouts themselves.

Eagle scouts must demonstrate living by the principles of the Scout Oath and Scout Law, earning 21 merit badges, and providing character references from individuals in all aspects of life – home, school, and employer. Another requirement (perhaps the most famous aspect of being promoted to Eagle Scout) includes participating in a unit leader conference to demonstrate leadership by planning and developing a community service project. Molitor’s project was designing and constructing a kiosk for the San Dieguito River County Park in Solana Beach.

Scouting has given Molitor the chance to participate in many extraordinary opportunities – he’s been backpacking in the Sierras, gone on canoeing trips, and learned how to properly handle a variety of firearms. “[A] highlight of my Boy Scout career was climbing half dome in Yosemite,” said Molitor. “That was pretty cool.” Nearly 8,000 feet above sea level, Half Dome’s vertical face spans 1,300 feet of sheer, smooth granite rock in Yosemite National Park.

Molitor said that his Boy Scout leadership experience has influenced him by “making me a better leader who is more responsible and who can effectively lead and organize a team to complete any task.”

Bringing truth to the Eagle Scout saying “Once an Eagle, always an Eagle,” Molitor said, “The most gratifying thing about being an Eagle Scout is that I can say that I’m an Eagle for the rest of my life, and not many people can say that.”

With his journey along the Boy Scouts path complete, Molitor left a few words of advice for aspiring Eagles: “keep pushing… go on lots of trips, and have fun.”