Archive 2008 - 2019

VFW Scout of the Year Candidate

by Paul Deschenes
4/11/2019

Please congratulate William Flanagan the next time you see him. William, an Eagle Scout Award recipient, is Holliston VFW Post 8507’s candidate for National Scout of the Year. Each year the VFW honors three individuals who have met the stringent and rigorous eligibility criteria to be chosen VFW Scout of the Year. Local VFW Posts submit their winning candidates to the next level, which is State, or Department in VFW parlance. Department winners advance to the National level where first second and third place winners are awarded $5,000, $3,000 and $1,000 scholarships, respectively.

Thanks to the efforts of post member Charlie Jacobs and Commander Dave deGanne, Holliston’s VFW Post 8507 has forwarded to State the eligibility criteria of a candidate, Eagle Scout William Flanagan, for the first time in over a decade. In addition to earning the Eagle Scout Award (Gold Award for Girl Scouts), eligibility criteria resumes must include “demonstrated practical citizenship in school, scouting and community” and letters of recommendation from a scout leader, a teacher and a community member. Among a variety of other activities and endeavors, William is the president of his class and a captain in two varsity sports at Holliston High School.

The VFW’s website indicates its “partnership with the Boy Scouts of America dates back to 1915 when VFW Post 2100 helped to establish Troop 1in Everett, Washington.” Locally, Post 8507 sponsored one of Holliston’s Cub Scout packs as a Charter Organization for 50 years. It was the longest such sponsorship in the Commonwealth until, unfortunately, it needed to be discontinued a few years ago when Post 8507 sold its building and could no longer provide a place for the pack to meet.