One of the requirements of earning an Eagle Scout Award is the completion of a community service project that showcases the Scout's planning, organizing and leadership skills.

Because Karis Toothman of Birdsboro, a member of Troop 543G in Plowville, is the daughter of a Marine Corps veteran who was wounded in combat, for her project she chose to hold an appreciation dinner to honor local veterans.

Karis, the daughter of Drew and Misty Toothman, hosted the dinner in November 2023 at Hopewell Church in Elverson. "The church posted it on its website calendar, and I also shared it on Facebook with friends and family," Karis explained. "My family knows a lot of veterans, so there were also personal invites." She noted that about 30 to 40 people attended the dinner, which included the veterans and their families.

During the event, guests enjoyed homemade lasagna. "I bought the food and made the food myself. We started the process at my house the night before by making the lasagna," she explained. "Then we cooked them the day of (the dinner) at the church." The dinner also included salad, rolls with butter and homemade brownies for dessert.

Also assisting with the dinner were Karis' parents; members of Troop 543G; Karis' brothers, Carsen and Canaan, and other members of Troop 543B, which is Troop 543G's brother troop; along with Karis' friends who are not part of Scouting.

Karis said she was pleased with the turnout. "I thought it was good number. It was in some ways nice not to have (a lot) of people. It was nice to get a chance to interact with the veterans," she stated. "The Scouts that were there got to sit down and talk with the veterans, and there was a sense of community and fellowship at the event."

"There were a couple of older veterans, including one Vietnam veteran," she added. "It was open to all eras, so I didn't collect information on when they served, but (I did record) what branch they were in. I believe there was at least one (veteran) from every branch."

Attendees were also invited to share their experiences and insights gained during their military service. "We had a time where they could share their stories essentially," said Karis. "I had three signed up to (share), and after they spoke, we opened it up and we had two or three more (veterans) who shared."

Each veteran was presented with a handmade thank you note made by the Scouts, and they were asked to stand up and be recognized.

Karis also arranged a display of information about local veterans' groups. "We had different cards and pamphlets from organizations. There were also a few resources for the families of veterans - spouses and children," she said. "It helped that my dad is a veteran, so he could give me advice."

Drew retired from the military in 2014 and has founded a nonprofit, Fundamentals of Bible (FOB) Truth, which provides assistance to veterans and active-duty military members along with first responders. He is also involved in the Twin Valley Mountain Biking Club. "The goal of FOB Truth is to provide support and community to veterans and others," Karis said. More information about the group is available at http://www.facebook.com/FOBTruth.

Karis recently celebrated her Eagle Court of Honor ceremony at Hopewell Church along with friends, family members, veterans and Scouts from Troops 543G, 543B and 529 and Venturing Crew 22.

At the event, led by Scoutmaster Virginia Thorpe, Karis presented a slideshow about her achievements in Scouting, noting that she joined Troop 543G in April 2021. She explained that the addition of segregated girls' troops to Scouts BSA has allowed girls to earn the rank Eagle Scout, which is the highest rank attainable in Scouts BSA. Eagle Scouts are required to earn at least 21 merit badges, 14 of which are mandatory for the award. "I am the third girl in our troop to get Eagle Scout," she noted.

Karis, 18, a 2023 Twin Valley High School graduate, is majoring in criminal justice at Liberty University in Virginia. Although she has "aged out" of Scouting, she plans to continue as an adult leader of the troop for the remainder of the year.