PALMETTO COUNCIL
NESA SCHOLARSHIPS

 
 
BOB JUSTICE.png

BOB JUSTICE SCHOLARSHIP

During the 2016 Palmetto Council Volunteer Recognition Banquet Mr. Bob Justice was awarded the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. Not only did Mr. Justice serve as the Palmetto Council Scout Executive for over twenty years, but he has also been a servant leader in our community. He currently volunteers as the Charter Organization Representative for VFW Post 9539, who sponsors Pack 9539 at the South Carolina School of the Deaf and Blind. In his honor, we established the Bob Justice NESA Scholarship to be awarded annually to Palmetto Council Eagle Scouts. To apply for this scholarship, an Eagle Scout must have earned the Eagle Rank in the previous year. One (or more) scholarship(s) is(are) awarded annually and may be used for any type of higher education beyond high school.

 
NORM SCHAEFER.png

NORM SCHAEFER EAGLE SCOUT SERVICE PROJECT OF THE year

Mr. Norman F. Schaefer passed away August 10, 2018 at the age of 82 after devoting most of his life to the Boy Scouts of America. Not only was Mr. Schaefer presented the Eagle Scout Award in 1955 before Eagle Scout projects were required, but he was also awarded the NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award for his service beyond the Eagle Scout rank. He was professionally employed by the Boy Scouts of America for forty years and held many titles during his employment. Mr. Schaefer also served as the curator for the Palmetto Council Scouting Museum in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Involved with Scouting for over 72 years, Mr. Schaefer actively volunteered with Eagle Scout Boards of Review and as a member of our NESA Committee.

Although Mr. Schaefer joined Scouts to have fun and hang out with his buddies, it became a vital part of his life. His proudest Scouting moments were when his mother was awarded a Silver Fawn, the predecessor to the Silver Beaver for female Scouters, and when his son, Kevin, earned the rank of Eagle Scout. The Schaefer Family established this scholarship after Mr. Schaefer’s death in 2018 and it is awarded in his memory for the outstanding Eagle Scout Service project of the year. This scholarship recipient’s project is designated as the Palmetto Council’s nominee for the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award and will compete for additional scholarships on regional and national levels.

 
ETHAN.jpg

THE ETHAN RUBENZER SPIRIT OF THE EAGLE SCHOLARSHIP

Ethan Rubenzer was a vibrant eleven year old Scout whose life tragically ended in an automobile accident in February 2019. Born in February of 2007, Mr. Rubenzer was an active Scout with Troop 413 in Boiling Springs, South Carolina. Ethan loved Scouting. Ethan received the Spirit of the Eagle Honor posthumously to recognize the joy, happiness, and life-fulfilling experiences the Scouting program made in his life and to recognize him for understanding the importance of organ donation. In 2019, Ethan’s parents, Patti and Trevor Rubenzer, established the Ethan Rubenzer Spirit of the Eagle Scholarship for the Eagle Scout who possesses all Eagle Scout qualities, but goes above and beyond. This scholarship is awarded to the Scout who is recommended by a fellow Scout or Scouter. The nomination form may be found here. Please do not notify the Eagle Scout of this nomination. One Scout will be awarded The Ethan Rubenzer Spirit of the Eagle Scholarship annually from the previous year’s Eagle Scouts. This scholarship may be used for higher education of any type beyond high school.