Cub Scouts honor first responders

Skye Pournazari/Daily Forum
Officer John Vaught of Maryville Public Safety tells Cub Scout Pack 75 about his job as law enforcement in the city His belt, which includes his weapon and other items adds 30 pounds for him to carry.

Cub Scout Pack No. 75 held its opening ceremony Monday night at First Methodist Church in Maryville to thank local first responders and law enforcement officers in honor of the 16th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

To open their first meeting of the year, Cubmaster Jeremy Poynter spoke about St. Paul’s Chapel that was saved by large sycamore trees from the explosion and crash of the twin towers. “Then it became an outpost for first responders and law enforcement, he said. “I just think it was a miracle that it survived. We thank those who were there when it happened.”

Poynter asked the pack what they knew about the Sept. 11 attacks. A young man in the center, answered, “Terrorists hijacked planes and crashed into the twin towers. I remember they crashed one plane into the Pentagon. I don’t remember the rest.”

Many of these boys wouldn’t have been alive at the time of the attacks and the Forum asked Poynter if he thought the boys had a good understanding of just what they were honoring tonight.

“In terms of firsthand experience remembering where they were, no, in a similar way World War II, World War I there are fewer and fewer people who have that firsthand experience. To me this is about a celebration of the folks and the spirit of folks coming together and love for other people in the midst of these horrific types of events,” he said. “This is also a way that we can honor and celebrate the first responders and folks in law enforcement that will be joining us this evening.”

Members of Den 7 read aloud “American Hero,” a poem about courage and thankfulness for the job the first responders do and then went outside to look inside some of the Maryville Public Safety vehicles including an ambulance, and several police cars.

“We appreciate those folks who are there every day to provide for our safety,” Poynter said.

For more on Cub Scouts or to join, visit pack75maryville.com.

SKYE POURNAZARI/DAILYFORUM
Cub Scout Pack 75 honors the anniversary of Sept. 11 attacks by meeting with first responders and law enforcement Monday evening at the First Methodist Church in Maryville. The group held an opening ceremony to celebrate members of Maryville Public Safety, and the Nodaway County Ambulance District.