There is an African Proverb that says "It takes a village to raise a child."

I have seen that come true in the life of my son on his journey to Eagle Scout.

When Andrew was young, his strongest influencers were family members. His Nana cared for him during the day and his Papa told him all about his Eagle Scout Journey and his many years as a Boy Scout Leader. Andrew's uncle Troy is also an Eagle Scout and even though they only had five short years together, Troy lit a light in Andrew to carry on the Eagle Scout tradition. By age 5, Andrew was on his way.

Jean Elkins was the brave parent who took on the role of Den Leader in the early days of Cub Scouts. She opened her home and took the time to provide an excellent scouting base for Andrew and several of his schoolmates.

Andrew also enjoyed the influence of a fabulous staff of teachers at New Glarus Schools including Mrs. (Hustad) Arnett, Mrs. Colstad, Mrs. Statz, Ms. Gevelinger, Mrs. Baker/Ms. Caskey, Mrs. Nealis, Mrs. Legler, Mrs. Bettin, Mr. VanHout/Mrs. Krantz, Mrs. Anderson, Mrs. Olson, Mr. Beutler, Mrs. Eicher, Ms. Speth, Mrs. Waller, Mr. Wahl, Mr. Andy, Mrs. Richards, Ms. Flash, Mr. Statler, Mrs. Thurow, Ms. Maas, Frau Zuleger, Ms. Winters, Mr. Gilbertson, Mr. Ziegler, Mr. Tordoff, Mr. Taylor, Mr. Bertling, Mr. Powers and Mr. Burk. His preschool teachers were Becky Hauser and Julie Nimtz. He also had a favorite Substitute Teacher, Mr. Etter, who told him fabulous stories of growing up in Germany. Each one of these individuals left a gentle imprint on Andrew.

In the community, he was invited to participate in things such as the Kinderchor, the Heidi Play and the Wilhelm Tell Play. A special thanks to Kaye Gmur and Lynn, Mark Schafer, and Petra Streiff and the many others who were involved in these activities.

Andrew also has an amazing Village Library with wonderful programs that he was involved in over the years and the Village Pool where he learned to swim from many remarkable New Glarus teens.

He has been blessed with a great group of Sunday School teachers, including Kay Zimmerman, Roxanne Klossner, Pam Venden, Bob Nelson, Christine Craven, Patty Marty and later Confirmation Mentor Andrew Judd and the outstanding Pastor Nicole.

We are also blessed with caring neighbors and family friends, too many to list, but you know who you are. A special thanks to Marc Baquero, Elaine Grenzow, Amy Thurow and Megan Maas for writing letters of recommendation.

When Andrew advanced to Boy Scouts, more influential people came into his life. Andy Elkins, John Beckwith, Dave Woerpel, Dale Emmerton, and later Chris Newberry, became his Scout Leaders. Having his Dad join the journey has been an incredible bonding experience for both father and son. Andrew was able to complete many merit badges and leadership training at Canyon Camp. Thanks to Denny Pratt, Ron Spielman, Lee Binkley and Dick Reynolds who have made that camp the awesome place that it is. While earning merit badges, Mike Morgan took Andrew flying and the staff of the Green County Food Pantry transformed community service into a rewarding and memorable experience.

There are many steps to become an Eagle Scout. The most notable is the Eagle Scout Project. Andy Elkins took Andrew on his first camping trip and later walked him through his Eagle Scout Project. In order to complete his Eagle Scout Project, Andrew had to meet new people, all adults, and work with them to design and build a bird blind. Harry Pulliam, Town Of New Glarus Park Board Member, worked with Andrew to complete a bird blind for The Bluebird Ridge Conservancy located in the Town of New Glarus, off of Windmill Ridge Road.

Chris Newberry

Andrew Newberry with a cake recognizing his accomplishments in becoming an Eagle Scout.

Andrew's life journey is still young, with so much more yet to come. While many people get frustrated and critical in life, Andrew truly takes it all in and makes the most of each moment he is given. The Eagle Scout quest provided a strong foundation, and because of his "Village," Andrew loves life, Swiss and German Culture, and Airplanes. It is all up from here!