Wow, that is great I may copy that down and use it when I help teach training. What a thought to ponder ...

Also remember "A hero is just someone who is the right place at the right time that does something good for someone else. A hero is not someone who goes looking for the right moment or for bragging rights." Even by this definition I think what we do as Scout Leaders qualifies us as hero''s in its own way.

Scott Robertson
http://insanescouter.org
Helping leaders improve Scouting on resource at a time

I think this is great. We can all wear a big "S" on our chests.

I thought something like this at one of our roundups the other night. You have a lot of boys (and parents) that come in and immediately look up to you for answers. You immediately have a level of respect from people that don''t know anything about you.

By putting on the uniform and agreeing to live by the Oath and Law, you''ve set yourself apart from those that accept just being satisfied. Thanks for being a hero.

Here's the latest Eagle Scout hero in the news. This time, in the Chicago area:

Rescue from river taps into old skills
Batavia man saves 2 from Fox after canoe capsizes

By Alexa Aguilar | Tribune staff reporter
October 25, 2007

Two state workers were rescued from the chilly Fox River Wednesday morning by a local businessman using skills he practiced 20 years ago in a YMCA pool while trying to become an Eagle Scout.

Tom Wangler earned that rank, became a husband and father and the owner of a Batavia heating and cooling business. But he never had a reason to use those lifeguard skills until Wednesday while taking his weekly walk with his wife along the Fox River about 9 a.m.

Through the trees, they spotted an overturned canoe floating in the water.

"It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up," said Wangler, 37.

As he and his wife, Paula Mueller, ran to the bank, they saw a young man and woman about 40 yards out, clearly struggling in the water and drifting south toward the Batavia dam.

Wangler and Mueller were the only people on shore. A man sitting in his parked car nearby was absorbed in a newspaper and hadn't noticed the commotion, Mueller said.

Wangler said his response was automatic. He called 911 from his cell phone, stripped to his T-shirt, boxer shorts and socks and yelled to the pair to keep kicking.

Brittany Trushel, 25, and Erik Smolik, 27, work for the Illinois Natural History Survey and had gone to the Fox River to collect water samples, said Batavia Fire Battalion Chief Randy Banker. Their canoe tipped almost immediately after they launched, they later told Wangler.

Clad in heavy coveralls, boots and sweat shirts, they had been struggling in the cold water for 15 minutes when Wangler and Mueller spotted them, they told him. Both could swim, but the weight of their clothing and the cold water had exhausted them, Wangler said.

Smolik gave both life jackets to Trushel and told her to kick toward shore while he clutched the overturned canoe.

"I stood in the water and yelled to her that she had to keep kicking," Wangler said. When she inched closer, he ventured into the water up to his neck, until she came close enough to grab her arms. Immediately, she went limp, he said.

He hauled her to shore, where his wife stood ready to help. He then ran toward where Smolik was clasping the canoe about 30 yards from shore. Wangler waded into the brush lining the river and yelled for him to let go and kick toward him.

"I can't kick anymore," Wangler said Smolik yelled to him. Wangler went back in the water, persuaded Smolik to release the boat and dragged him out.

Smolik and Trushel were taken to Delnor-Community Hospital in Geneva where they were treated for hypothermia and released, a hospital spokesman said. Neither could be reached for comment Wednesday, but Batavia Deputy Fire Chief Randy Deicke said they were fortunate that Wangler and Mueller walked by when they did.

Wangler got dressed and went home for an extra cup of coffee before heading to work.

"He earned that extra cup of coffee," Mueller said. "He's the type who, whenever he sees something where he could help, he does it. But this is a first for us."

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aaguilar@tribune.com

Hey! Super heros do not work alone. Batman had Robin. There's the Justice League. The Avengers. The Fantasic Four, X-Men.