Sample Letters…
TROOP 1023 22 October 2002
Elder F. Melvin Hammond Young Men’s General President 47 E. South Temple Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 Dear Elder Hammond, I have the pleasure of informing you that two exceptional young men in our Scout troop have completed the requirements for and have been awarded the rank of Eagle Scout by the Board of Review. These two young men are Jacob Laurendeau and Brittin W. Bennett. Both of these boys have exhibited the best in Scouting by living each day in accordance with the Scout Oath and Law and are exemplary in their attitude, behavior, and love of country. They are active Teachers in the Oakridge Fifth Ward of the Farmington Oakridge Stake and humbly and honorably fulfill their priesthood responsibilities. A joint Eagle Court of Honor will be held to present their Eagle Awards on 9 November and I would request that a letter of commendation and congratulation be sent to each of them from your office. Having made similar requests in the past, I’m sure the boys will be very pleased and honored to hear from you. I would be grateful if these letters could be prepared to arrive before 7 November in anticipation of this event. Could you please send both letters to my address (see below) and I will see that they are presented with appropriate dignity and respect during the Court of Honor. I thank you for your kind consideration. Honoring these boys for their efforts with your congratulations will mean much to them now and will increase in significance in the coming years. Respectfully,
Russell W. Peirce Scoutmaster, Troop 1023 1676 S 625 E, Kaysville, Utah 84037 (801)451-7558
TROOP 1023 21 November 2002
White House Greetings Office 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, D.C. 20500 To Whom It May Concern, Over the past several days, we have conducted conversations related to the requests I have recently made for Presidential congratulatory letters to be sent to some of our newest Eagle Scouts. As you know, these requests have unfortunately gone unanswered. We have been discussing two young men in particular (Brittin W. Bennett and Jacob C. Laurendeau), but I made an earlier request for two other boys that also was not satisfied (Stephen W. Peirce and Jeremy S. Pendleton). My previous experiences in making such requests (see attached example letter) were directed with satisfactory results to the office of the Press Secretary to the President; it appears this procedure may have changed. Therefore, I am making this second request of your office to provide, if possible, congratulatory letters from the President to four young men, now Eagle Scouts, from our troop. I have listed their names, date of Eagle rank, date of Court of Honor, and home addresses for you: Name Jeremy S. Pendleton Stephen W. Peirce Brittin W. Bennett Jacob C. Laurendeau Eagle Date 21 April 2002 4 August 2002 25 August 2002 25 August 2002 Court of Honor Date 21 September 2002 21 September 2002 9 November 2002 9 November 2002 Address (Kaysville,Utah 84037) 596 E 1500 S 1676 S 625 E 1497 S 650 E 1523 S Haight Creek Drive
As you can see from the attached example letter, I would request these letters in order to place them in clear protective sheets in a binder along with letters from our senators, congressman, governor, and mayor as a momento of the event for each Scout, so I had asked that they be sent to my address. Please let me know what the proper procedure now is, what the correct address and contact point now is, and what I need to do to make such requests in the future. I’ll be happy to adjust my methods in order to allow future Eagle Scouts the ‘once in a lifetime’ experience of receiving congratulations from their President on effort well expended and a job well done. Respectfully,
Russell W. Peirce Scoutmaster, Troop 1023 1676 S 625 E, Kaysville, Utah 84037 (801) 451-7558 (801)332-3391
October 1, 2003 Vice President Richard B. Cheney The White House Attn: Greetings Office Washington, D.C. 20502-0039 Mr. Vice President: My name is (your name), a volunteer (or position) within the (your Council), Boy Scouts of America. This letter is to ask for your assistance in recognizing the achievements and service of (Eagle Scouts' full name), a resident of this community and a member of (say unit name here). Would you please be so kind as to send (Eagle's first name) a letter of greeting, along with any other items you wished to be presented to him during a recognition ceremony to be held (date of Court of Honor or other presentation), at (time) at (location of Court of Honor or other presentation). Please address your letter and recognitions to Eagle Scout (Eagle's LAST name), in care of the following address (yours). All of the recognitions and letters will be compiled, placed in a binder or other suitable keepsake, and after they are read, will be displayed during this special occasion for (first name of Eagle Scout). [Note: I placed that last sentence in as an example of what can be done with all of those letters...if you have differing plans, please note them here instead of that last sentence.] (address of chartered partner organization, your address, or the address of the Committee Chair) Thank you very much for taking time from your extremely busy work schedule to help this community and this unit recognize the personal achievement and service of Eagle Scout (last name). Sincerely, (Your full name, Scouting position, unit number/name) (Name)
October 1, 2003 President George W. Bush The White House Attn: Greetings Office Washington, D.C. 20502-0039 Dear Mr. President: The Scouts, Leaders and Members of the Committee Boy Scout Troop (#) take great pleasure in announcing that: Having completed the requirements for, and having been examined by an Eagle Scout Board of Review (Scout's Name) Was found worthy of the rank of Eagle Scout. In honor of this achievement, we have scheduled an Eagle Scout Court of Honor for (date and time), at (location, town). We would appreciate a letter or certificate acknowledging his achievement. We will compile it with other acknowledgments and place in a scrap book commemorating this special occasion. Thank you for taking time from your extremely busy schedule to help this community recognize the achievements and service of Eagle Scout (Scout's Name). Sincerely,
Letters of Commendation May be Requested of… Government officials, leaders of industry, religious leaders,
Press Secretary to the President White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, D.C. 20500 Senator Orrin G. Hatch Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building 125 S State Street Salt Lake City, Utah 84138 Senator Robert F. Bennett Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building 125 S State Street, Rm 4225 Salt Lake City, Utah 84138 Representative Rob Bishop 324 25th Street, Suite 1017 Ogden, Utah 84401 (801) 625-0107 Congressman Jim Matheson U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D. C. 20515 The Honorable Chris Cannon U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D. C. 20515 Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. 210 Capitol Building Salt Lake City, Utah 84114 Mayor Brian Cook 23 E Center Street Kaysville, Utah 84037 Elder Charles W. Dahlquist II Young Men’s General President 47 E. South Temple Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 OR Who is your guy? What is his address? OR President George W. Bush or Vice President Cheney White House Greetings Office 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, D.C. 20502-0039 The Honorable Senator ________________________ U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510
OR
OR
Senator _______________ United States Senate Washington, DC 20510
124 Cannon Builidng Washington, DC 20515 (202) 225-0453
house.gov/robbishop
Who Else?
Fire Chief City of __________ Superintendent of Schools Public Schools OR OR Chief of Police City of ____________ Principal OR Favorite Teacher
How About?
Boy Scout Program Manager National Park Service 1849 C Street NW Washington, DC 20240 Secretary of the Air Force Community Relations, SAF/PAC Room 5C945, 1690 Air Force The Pentagon Washington, DC 20330-1690 Department of the Army (Request a certificate online at www.goarmy.com/ycr) Office of the Superintendent U.S. Naval Academy 121 Blake Road Annapolis MD 21402-5000
Office of the Superintendent United States Military Academy West Point NY 10996 Commandant of Cadets U.S. Air Force Academy Colorado Springs, CO 80840-5421
Superintendent U. S. Coast Guard Academy 15 Mohegan Avenue New London CT 06320-4095 Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense Public Affairs Director for Community Relations The Pentagon, Room 1E776 Washington, DC 20301-1400 Chief Justice John Roberts Supreme Court of the United States Washington, DC 20543 Justice Clarence Thomas Supreme Court of the United States Washington, DC 20543 Justice Anthony Kennedy Supreme Court of the United States Washington, DC 20543 US Fish and Wildlife Service National Conservation Training Center Division of Education Outreach 698 Conservation Way Shepherdstown, WV 25443 Robert Gates, President National Eagle Scout Association P.O. Box 152079 Irving, TX 75015-2079 International Association of Lions Clubs 300 22nd Street Oak Brook, IL 60521-8842
Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff The Pentagon Washington, DC 20330-1000
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Supreme Court of the United States Washington, DC 20543 Justice Stephen Breyer Supreme Court of the United States Washington, DC 20543
Drug Enforcement Administration Attn: Information Affairs Coordinator Office of the Administrator 700 Army Navy Drive Arlington, VA 22202 The Scout Association, The Gilwell Park Campsite, Chingford, London, E4 7QW, United Kingdom
Douglas N. Daft The Coca Cola Company P.O. Drawer 1734 Atlanta, GA 30301 Steven S. Mr. Reinemund regrets he cannot respond to each individual request. Please copy the letter below and Reinemund print it for your Eagle Scout. PepsiCo, Inc.
Dear Eagle Scout: Congratulations on becoming an Eagle Scout! You deserve a lot of credit and are to be commended on this achievement. The Boy Scouts of America's focus on the values of integrity, honor and respect are all important requirements for lasting success. You need all of them to make your mark in this world. Again, congratulations, and please accept my very best wishes for continued success. Sincerely, Steven S Reinemund
Mr. Steven Spielberg DreamWorks SKG PO Box 492147 Los Angeles, CA 90049 USAF Thunderbirds Lt. Col. Richard G. McSpadden, Jr. USAFADS/CC 4445 Tyndall Ave Nellis AFB NV 89191-6079 National Football League 280 Park Avenue New York, NY 10017 Mr. Jerry Jones Owner, The Dallas Cowboys Cowboys Center One Cowboy Parkway Irving, TX 75063-4727
Michael D. Eisner The Walt Disney Company 500 South Buena Vista Street Burbank, CA 91521
Mr. Bill Parcells Coach, The Dallas Cowboys One Cowboys Parkway Irving, TX 75063-4727
Astronauts NASA receives a large number of requests for Eagle commendation letters. NASA is now requesting that all requests be sent to the following address: NASA Johnson Space Center CB/Astronaut Office Attn: Eagle Scout Court of Honor Houston, TX 77058 The Astronaut Office will respond with one letter on behalf of the astronaut corps. Senator John Glenn Ohio State University 400 Stillman Hall 1947 College Road Columbus OH 43210 Previous Presidents Gerald R. Ford President Ford is the only president to date who is an Eagle Scout. Due to limited staff which cannot satisfy the large number of inquiries, we ask Scouts to respect his wish to not send him requests for commendation letters President George H. W. Bush 10000 Memorial Drive Suite 900 Houston, TX 77024
President Jimmy Carter Attn: Correspondence Office The Carter Center 453 Freedom Parkway or One Copenhill Atlanta, GA 30307 President William Jefferson Clinton 55 W 125th St New York, NY 10027 People General Charles E. Yeager
Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson LBJ Ranch Stonewall, TX 78671
General Yeager reports that he receives over 500 requests a week for Boy Scout commendations and can not respond to them all, so he responds to none. To support the General Chuck Yeager Foundation, he will autograph items for $50 each. The General Chuck Yeager Foundation is dedicated to the enhancement and enrichment of young people’s lives through programs that are focused on the principles that General Yeager has exemplified. www.chuckyeager.com
Mr. Ralph Nader P.O. Box 19312 Washington, DC 20036 Mr. Craig A. Moon President and Publisher, USA Today Gannett Co., Inc. Headquarters 7950 Jones Branch Drive McLean, VA 22108-0605 Mr. Andrew Heyward President, CBS News 524 W. 57th St. New York, NY 10019 Mr. Neal Shapiro President, NBC News 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10012 Mr. David Westin President, ABC News Capital Cities/ABC Inc. 47 W 66th St. New York, NY 10023
Mr. Ted Turner Turner Broadcasting, Inc. P.O. Box 105366 Atlanta, GA 30348 Mr. Turner, as with many on this and other lists, receives so many requests that he can no longer reply to them all. However, he does want to recognize the Eagle Scouts, and has requested the letter at right be posted on his behalf. Please copy the text to a form or letter as you want it printed for your Eagle Scout. Mr. John Jacobs Power Connection Box A Santa Anna, CA 92711 Mr. Samuel J. Palmisano Chairman & CEO IBM Corp. Old Orchard Rd. Armonk, NY 10504 Mr. James S. Brady c/o National Organization on Disability Washington, DC 20006 Mr. Kayne Robinson, President National Rifle Association 11250 Waples Mill Rd. Fairfax, VA 22030 Mr. Edwin Feulner President The Heritage Foundation 214 Massachusetts Ave., NE Washington, DC 20002 Religious Leaders His Holiness, Pope John Paul II Vatican City Rome, Italy Most Holy Father Your Holiness' most humble servant, Dr. Robert Schuller The Crystal Cathedral 12141 Lewis St. Garden Grove CA 92840
Dear Eagle Scout: Congratulations on attaining the highest ranking within Scouting. The realization of this outstanding achievement will undoubtedly lead to successes and accomplishments throughout your life. Best wishes for the future. Very truly yours, Ted Turner
Mr. Hector Ruiz Chairman and CEO Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. P.O. Box 3453 Sunnyvale, CA 94088
Where Can I Get More?
Eaglescout.org Macscouter.com Usscouts.org