Congressional Eagles
Roll Call – Rep. Dana Rohrabacher knows exactly which lesson from his time in the Boy Scouts has helped most in Washington: handling poisonous snakes.
“That skill has really served me well here on Capitol Hill,” the California Republican joked.
In all seriousness, Rohrabacher and other Eagle Scouts in Congress say their boyhood experience was good preparation for a career in politics.
“Both take ambition, both take a quiet determination,” Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said. “Both have their moments of loneliness because you need to lead and be apart from the crowd and achieve.”
Like winning a seat in Congress, earning the rank of Eagle Scout is a difficult task. A Boy Scout must earn at least 21 merit badges, serve at least six months in a troop leadership position and manage a community-oriented service project — all before age 18. About 5 percent of Scouts achieve the rank.
