Local Eagle Scout candidate holding blood drive today
Monache High School freshman Dylan Dees might only be 14 years old but he’s already on his way to obtaining Eagle Scout rank – the highest rank one can achieve in the Boy Scouts of America organization.
Since 1911, only 4 percent of Scouts have earned the rank after a lengthy review process. Eagle Scout rank has been earned by 2.5 million youth.
Dees, who was in Cub Scouts for a few years before joining Boy Scouts Troop 139 five years ago, said activities have been at a minimum for the past two years due to the pandemic.
“We have not been too active due to COVID and lately, the heat,” Dees said.
So when he started thinking of a project, his mind suddenly turned to a blood drive.
“We were going over the options,” he said about brainstorming on projects.
And after coming up with the idea of a blood drive, he decided it was a perfect project as there’s a shortage of blood in Central California, mainly due to the pandemic, Dees said.
“I’ve never seen it this bad. There’s a severe blood shortage,” a blood bank organizer with the
American Red Cross was quoted as saying back in June.
Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood, the Central California Blood Bank states on its website. The same can be said in Tulare County. And blood supply hit critically low levels after COVID-19 shutdowns emptied community centers, universities, places of worships and other venues where blood drives typically occur. And many blood donations were forced to close because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It was perfect timing,” said Mike Smith, Commander, American Legion Post 20 of the Porterville Veterans Hall where the blood drive will be held. “This kind of fell in my lap. I was already thinking of starting a monthly blood bank and this will now kick us off. We plan on following up with blood drives every eight weeks.”
But for now, all Smith is doing is providing the place for the blood drive. Dees is responsible to plan, organize, lead and manage the drive, with American Legion Post 20 sponsoring the drive.
Dees started making the arrangements in late July. Then he started working on the 30-page Eagle Planning Worksheet.
“The hardest part was getting signatures. To have a good blood drive, there has to be 30 or more (donors) but we will also do walk-ins,” Dees said. “I mostly went to family and friends and then attended a couple of meetings at the Veterans Memorial Building and I got signatures from them.”
Though Central California Blood Drive staff will be doing the actual blood draws, Dees will be setting up, advising people where to go, and answering or fielding questions.
Dees’ mother, Jeannette Cabatu Dees is one of the Scout Masters, and will serve as a guidance counselor through the process.
“He will do all the work. I just make sure he does all the Boy Scouts of America workbook. It is quite detailed. There’s a budget, a calendar and a time frame for everything,” she said.
And he couldn’t start the Eagle Rank process until he collected numerous merit badges and completed an array of other ranks.
“Once they have completed their ranks, then they are eligible to work on a project,” Cabatu Dees said. “After being a cub scout, he was a Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life and Eagle.”
The Eagle rank is the final one, she said.
“I’m very proud of
him. Being a 14 yearold is not easy. It’s completely difficult. He has had challenges and to be able to stick with the Boy Scouts has been a huge commitment with all the extra curricular activities,” Cabatu Dees said.“it’s hard. He has to follow rules and regulations and they just changed the rules, making it more challenging.”
But the experience does prepare Boy Scouts for the military, she said, and obtaining Eagle Scout rank actually
bumps up the Scout in rank, should they choose to enter the military.
Smith also expressed pride and gratitude towards Dylan Dees.
“I met Dylan at Flag Day. I know his mother too. I had been planning to do (a blood drive) since I had not seen one. This was the perfect support. Now I’m using it as our springboard,” Smith said. “Dylan came and spoke at the post and presented his project on August 4 and 18. He’s a nice young man. It’s neat to help him out. He’s like
any young man — trying to find his way in the world. He’s a really good young man.”
The blood drive will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 pm. today at the Porterville Veterans Hall, 1900 W. Olive. Donors should eat something in advance, hydrate and take identification with them. All donors will receive a free Baskin-robbins ice cream coupon.
For more information call Dylan Dees at (559) 483-1394 or Tamer Karkazian at (559) 3895420.