I’d now like to ask our next recipient to step forward, Brice Reynolds.
Brice, like Tok, is someone i have spoken about a lot in recent years. He is the recipient like Tok of the national venturing leadership award. He has been honored twice as officer of the year and his leadership has been exemplary.
He served who terms as vice president of program and was elected twice as president. Under his leadership, our membership grew, we carried out the most ambitious service project I’ve ever seen as well as the most fundraising activities in the crew’s history. Our activity schedule was full and varied and capped off by a trip to Florida sea base, where we sailed to key west and back. Oh, and Brice was elected to lead that expedition as well. And he did a good job there as well, though there was that incident involving losing his swim suit and falling off the back of the boat. But i won’t mention that.
I’ve pointed out to the crew that it is highly unusual for a youth leader to be both well liked and well respected. Brice is both. I used to think it was the hair but he once cut it off and no one in the crew turned his back on him so i guess i was wrong.
Brice has an extraordinary sense of responsibility. During one of his terms with us, he also was elected senior patrol leader of his troop, an equally demanding job. He could have declined one job and no one would have raised an eyebrow. But he felt a sense of duty to both organizations and served both well.
There is one honor remaining on Brice’s plate before he leaves for Clemson ? Or Montana by the way ? And that is obtaining the rank of eagle scout. Brice completed his last requirement, a service project designed by him to plant trees around St. Simon’s cemetery, this spring and we are waiting on Brice now to finish his paperwork. I said we are waiting on Brice to finish his paperwork.
When it came to his name, Brice certainly could have been open for several. I tried but could not find one for big hair. Evidently native Americans never saw that sort of thing. But his pick was easy. You see, several years ago, Brice became interested in the stage. He has participated in school plays, community and children’s theater and those of you who have been lucky enough to see his three-man production this week know how much he enjoys acting. Storytelling was a big part of Indian life because they did not keep written records. Stories were how they handed down the history of their tribes as well as how they related great battles or adventures. Hundreds of years ago, Indians performed their own plays, dramatizing the significant events in their lives.
So it is my honor tonight, Brice, to bestow upon you the name, Anoki, which means actor. Congratulations!