The Wickenheiser boys, Vincent, Eric and Kyle, of Elkridge, have evolved from carefree little Tiger Cub scouts into adult and nearly adult respected Eagle Scouts. Elly and Dan Wickenheiser, their parents are very proud of their scouting accomplishments throughout the years.

I'd like to share what these remarkable guys are doing now, and the projects they each chose to earn the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout.

Vincent is 22 years old now, and as of last week was in the Netherlands for work with the Coast Guard as a naval architect. He is engaged to be married to Sarah Patrick, from Ohio. She is also a naval architect and marine engineer.

The couple met while attending Webb Institute, a very small, specialized school in Glen Cove, N.Y. Vincent and Sarah will be wed March 28, 2009, in Ohio. Congratulations to the happy couple.

When he received his Eagle Scout award, Vincent, designed and replaced a leaking roof of the library at the Thomas O'Farrell Youth Center. The library is an old train caboose donated to the Youth center.

I discovered on the Web site that the Thomas O'Farrell Youth Center, in Sykesville, is a residential program serving young men committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice. The center is a community-based program that provides a structured environment, with a goal of changing the youth's delinquent behavior.

Eric is currently a junior at West Virginia University studying sports management. When he is home during school breaks, he works for the Baltimore Orioles.

Eric, now 20 years old, designed and built wooden bookcases for the same library, at the Thomas O'Farrell Youth Center for his Eagle Scout project.

"Becoming an Eagle Scout was important for me because it let me know of my own abilities. Reaching Eagle Scout Rank takes a great deal of dedication because so much time and effort goes into it. This is something that for myself took 13 years of hard work, and seeing my brothers reach that point as well makes it that much better, " Eric said.

Kyle, a 17-year-old senior at Howard High School, is the youngest Weickenheiser son. He hasn't quite decided on a college yet, but is but thinking of majoring in a field in film or the television industry.

Kyle built four picnic tables and two benches for the Howard County Conservancy as part of his Eagle Scout obligations.

"One of the ideas of scouting is to learn ambition and an even more important idea is to learn from each other. My brothers exemplified this, and with their inspiration, I was able to embrace the values of scouting," Kyle said.

The Wickenheiser boys were motivated to get involved in scouting at a young age, by their parents. The family has participated in scouts for many years, with Dan earning a Star rank, which is very close to Eagle Scout.

Elly took part in scouting more when the boys were young and served as a Tiger Cub coordinator, den leader and assistant den leader. Dan's roles went a bit further, as he held these positions: den leader, pack leader, assistant scoutmaster and committee member.

Vincent sums up the families positive attitude obout scouting when he said, "It is very important to complete what you have started. If you ever want to complete anything worthwhile, then you can quit. Quitting never yields any achievements. I am proud of my two younger brothers for following through on what they started."

The Wickenheiser sons not only excelled in scouting, but are well rounded young men with bright futures. All three were also on a "It's Academic!" television team during their high school years.

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