Ethan, our next door neighbor, was inducted as an Eagle Scout today. We’ve known Ethan all of his life and it seems almost like yesterday that he was just a little kid playing in his backyard. Now, he is a young man. Anne and I attended his induction ceremony this afternoon. Ethan is a bright young person and hard working too. He exemplifies all the virtues that an Eagle Scout should have. His parents, Arthur and Caroline were rightfully and visibly proud of their son.

Ethan had earned 49 merit badges, more than twice the number required for Eagle Scout. His Eagle Scout project was the design and construction of a garden swing and tiny free lending library. They were installed at ECC, where Anne is currently teaching. Just this week she observed three little girls, who would borrow books from the little library and then read them while swinging. 

Ethan’s induction ceremony was held at the Maplewood Methodist Church, where our neighbors attend Sunday services. This church also served as a location for several scenes in the 2009 George Clooney movie, Up in the Air. In this movie Clooney plays a man whose job is to fire other people. Companies would hire such a person to handle their layoffs and if you recall, 2009 was a booming year for this kind of business. The front of the church was used as the site where Clooney’s character attends a family wedding. The wedding was supposed to take place during the winter in Wisconsin, this being Saint Louis though there was none of the proscribed snow for an exterior shot. Instead a white plastic sheet was laid across the green lawn and dirt that had been spray painted white was added for texture. We spoke to the pastor who had been in attendance back then. The event had made a lasting impression on her.