Conrad Wear of Troop 500 and Crew 500 was awarded his Eagle Scout badge ” the highest award in Scouting ” at an afternoon Court of Honor on Sunday, July 6 at the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church.
The event was attended by more than 200 friends, family and Scouts.
The Eagle medal was presented to Wear by the Rev. Dr. John Powell, senior pastor of the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church. Powell was assisted by former Troop 500 Scoutmaster Stan Miller and current Troop 500 Scoutmaster Chuck Mellor. District 2 City Councilmember Kevin Faulconer gave congratulatory remarks and presented Wear with special recognitions received from elected officials from the city of San Diego to the White House. Wear was also presented with a 1969 special edition of a Look magazine/New York Times feature on “Apollo 8: Voyage to the Moon” signed by astronaut William Anders and a carved Eagle of “Tennessee White Walnut” from acclaimed artist Larry Nowell.
Rob Hutsel, executive director of the San Diego River Park Foundation, provided congratulatory remarks to Wear on the success of Wear’s Eagle project. Wear led the effort to plan, recruit volunteers, fundraise and construct two new footbridges and nature paths for the San Diego River Park Foundation west of the YMCA on Friars Road.
Wear continued his support for the San Diego River Park Foundation with the construction of a nature center, a joint project of Boy Scout Troop 500 and High Tech High School students with support from the Downtown Kiwanis Club, the Peninsula Lions Club and individual donors.
The ceremony, culminating a Fourth of July weekend, included patriotic selections performed by soloist Shelly Verhoye, accompanied by pianist Bryan Verhoye. Following the ceremony, guests attended a barbecue and pool swim at the Peninsula/Ryan Family YMCA.
Wear, son of Byron and Bridget Wear, joined Scouting as a Tiger Cub in Pack 546 at age 6 and advanced through Cub Scouts to Boy Scout Troop 500 in February 2001. He moved up through the ranks of Scouting, providing leadership for summer camps and attending high-adventure trips to Philmont, N.M. and Colorado with Venture Crew 500.
In 2005, Conrad attended the National Boy Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia, where he served as assistant senior patrol leader. Wear’s father, former City Councilmember Byron Wear, earned his Eagle Award from Troop 500 in 1970.
Wear’s mother, Bridget Cantu Wear, served as the chair of Cub Scout Pack 546. Two of Conrad’s cousins, Clint Wear, Jr. of San Diego and Joseph Claverie, also earned the Eagle rank. About 4 percent of the boys who join Scouting attain the Eagle rank.
In addition to Scouting, Wear has played an active role in helping others in the community. He ventured to Mexico on a church youth mission trip to orphanages where he worked on construction projects, provided food and gave children hope. Wear has served as an usher for the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church.
Throughout his life Wear has excelled in sports both in basketball and baseball. He also competed for the San Diego Junior Lifeguards in the national championships in New Jersey and Florida.
Wear has also been a member of the YMCA basketball league, Point Loma Little League and a junior varsity and varsity member of the High Tech High School baseball team. For his junior year internship, Wear served with the San Diego Padres, where he assisted in player performance and contract analysis.
In 2007, Wear earned a first-place award in the Greater San Diego Science Fair for the study of marine oxygen levels. His project earned him the San Diego Oceans Foundation SeaWorld scholarship award in the field of marine science.
At High Tech High School at Liberty Station, Wear served as a school ambassador, took several honors classes and maintained a high grade point average.
As a result of his scholastic achievement, Wear has been accepted to attend the University of California at Berkeley, where he will study business.