Earning an Eagle Scout rank is a daunting feat achieved by few.
The Gemmell family makes it look easy.
Six sons in the Vista family have now earned the distinguished honor.
Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman Bill Horn recognized the achievement at Tuesday morning’s Board of Supervisors meeting. Surrounded by the large family in the County Administration Center Board Chambers, Horn presented a proclamation to parents Alex and Becky and their Eagle Scout sons, including Brian, Eric, Keith, Scott and Matthew. Their son Kyle was not able to attend. Supervisors named Tuesday “Gemmell Family Day” throughout the County.
Horn noted that parents Alex and Becky supported and encouraged their sons throughout their journeys, and that the siblings “found brotherhood with each other, not competition, when working towards the rank of Eagle Scout.”
They worked tirelessly to complete all the necessary tasks, and “have found that the skills they learned in Boy Scouts have served them well in their adult lives,” Horn said.
Alex Gemmell said the family was humbled and honored to accept the recognition. He said he and his wife Becky wanted their sons to turn out to be good, honest men who were “diligent in what they do.”
“We are also blessed that scouting became a part of our life and they all embraced it wholeheartedly and that helped them be even more well-rounded than my wife and I could (teach) on our own,” Gemmell said. “I couldn’t be a more proud father.”
After the meeting, Becky Gemmell also credited the scout masters and troop leaders along the way, saying her sons wouldn’t have been able to reach their goals without their help and encouragement.
