A pair of hearty congratulations are due to two deserving members of my family.

First, to my youngest brother Brennan, who pitched 6 innings to a 1-0 Bishop Verot Vikings win tonight that included no runs, eight strikeouts, only one walk, and only five hits. Well done, bro!! The team record is now 8-4, with Brennan having the lowest ERA on the Vikings' pitching staff.

Second, to my Father. Each year since 1991 the Southwest Florida Council of the Boy Scouts of America has held an awards banquet to honor that year's Distinguished Citizen award recipient. Men and women who have contributed much of their time and talents to SW Florida Scouting have been the honored recipients. Winners include James D. Newton, Jody Hendry, Wayne T. Miller, Steve and Lou Pontius and former Sen. Connie Mack. Over the years, our family has been involved in the production of the banquet, with both Trevor and I giving speeches on what Scouting means to us and, for several years in a row now, helping with the Opening Ceremony. Dad served the Council for three years as President and was an active member on Troop Committees, was a Den Leader in Cub Scouts, is a recipient of the coveted Silver Beaver Medal and has been on the board several times. It comes as no surprise to me, though it apparently did to him, when this year's recipient was announced as being Steven R. "Rusty" Whitley. Congratulations to Dad for being recognized in such a huge way for all his hard work and committment. More importantly to me, thanks to you, Dad, for getting me involved in Scouting and seeing me through splinters (major and minor), poison ivy, scorpion bites, merit badges, an Eagle project, and six ranks on my way to Eagle. Rusty Whitley - now a Distinguished Citizen, always a Distinguised Father.

-R