[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7191]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                A TRIBUTE TO EAGLE SCOUT MASON JEFFRIES

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DAVID YOUNG

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 18, 2015

  Mr. YOUNG of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and 
congratulate Mason Jeffries of Boy Scout Troop 208 in Clive, Iowa, for 
achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. The Eagle Scout rank is the highest 
advancement rank in scouting. Only about five percent of Boy Scouts 
earn the Eagle Scout Award. The award is a performance-based 
achievement with high standards that have been well-maintained for more 
than a century.
  Mason joined Cub Scout Pack 181 in 2007 as a first grader at Walnut 
Hills Elementary School in Urbandale. He became the Pack's Top Popcorn 
Salesman for four consecutive years--reaching sales records above 
$3,000 a year--and even earning a college scholarship. He earned Cub 
Scout's highest award, the Arrow of Light, as a Webelos Scout before 
crossing over to Boy Scout Troop 208 in Clive, where his parents, Pete 
and Kristin Jeffries, are active in Troop Leadership.
  As a Boy Scout, Mason has volunteered in the community with the 
Variety Telethon, Waukee Food Pantry, Clive Greenbelt Park, Meals for 
the Heartland, Vacation Bible School, and various other Eagle Scout 
projects. Due to his dedication to the community, he was honored by his 
fellow Scouts in Troop 208 who elected him to serve in the Order of the 
Arrow, where he became a Brotherhood Member with the Mitigwa Lodge. 
Mason has held a number of leadership roles in Troop 208, including 
Senior Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Librarian, 
Scribe, and twice as Patrol Leader.
  To earn the Eagle Scout rank, a Boy Scout must pass specific tests 
organized by requirements and merit badges, and complete an Eagle 
Project to benefit the community. For his Eagle Scout Service Project, 
Mason refurbished the front of the Waukee Public Library after the 
construction of the facility's new addition in 2014. He led a group of 
Scouts and adults in pulling up all the existing shrubs, bushes and 
plants, adding metal edging, planting over 30 grasses, shrubs and 
plants, and finishing the landscaping with new mulch and decorative 
rocks.
  Mr. Speaker, the example set by this young man and his family's 
service to their community demonstrates the rewards of hard work, 
dedication and perseverance. I am honored to represent Mason and his 
family in the United States Congress. I know that all of my colleagues 
in the House will join me in congratulating him on reaching the rank of 
Eagle Scout, and I wish him continued success in his future education 
and career.

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