McLean received the award after earning 41 merit badges, and he set up his Eagle Scout Service Project at the Gwinnett County Veterans Memorial Museum. His $1700 project was titled’ Installation of An Interactive Touchscreen Display Honoring Local Veterans’— designed to attract, engage and connect visitors viewing video interviews of the service memories of our veterans. After McLean spent 432 project-hours perfecting it, the interactive display is a popular device for visitors to learn more about the sacrifices of veterans. MMI/SS David Berndt, Museum Director, speaking at the project commemoration on Memorial Day May 27, 19, said that 8 veterans were interviewed and they want Kani to continue to add more as the display is so impressive; you will really enjoy this. Sgt Micheal Lippman was given the honor of cutting the ribbon as we all observed a moment of silence for his dad LTC Gordon Lippman and others who died in combat.
A member of Troop 251, chartered to Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church in Norcross, McLean is one of approximately seven percent of all Boy Scouts who ever achieve this rank. Troop 251 now has 16 Scouts who have achieved the rank of Eagle from Feb 2006 to present. On July 28,19 Kani traveled to West Virginia to join 41000 scouts from over 150 countries at the 24th World Scout Jamboree; after which, he started the 2019 new school year at Collins Hill High as a more globally enlightened scout.
McLean is the son of Dr. Nicholas and Kathryn McLean. A leader in both scouting and the community, McLean served as Patrol leader in his troop. In his community, he attends Gwinnett County Parks clean-up troop outings at Rocksprings and Pinckneyville Parks. Kani encourages all to visit Gwinnett’s best-kept secret—the veterans museum in Gwinnett’s Historic Courthouse in downtown Lawrenceville. He is a sophomore at Collins Hill High School and an Officer in the AFJROTC Strike Eagles, earning the Collins Hill H.S. AFJROTC Outstanding Cadet AS I and the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc Certificate of Achievement for 2018-2019
The Eagle Scout rank carries a special significance both in and outside of Scouting. McLean joins other prominent Americans including former President Gerald Ford, astronaut Neil Armstrong, filmmaker Steven Spielberg, and former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, in attaining this award.
About the Atlanta Area Council, Scouts BSA| Boy Scouts of America:
Since 1910, the Scouts BSA has been the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and leadership training. The Atlanta Area Council covers 13 metro-Atlanta Counties. For more information on the Atlanta Area Council or how to join Scouting, visit www.atlantabsa.org or call (770) 989-8820.
