Another Eagle Lands in Carlson Park

One more Culver City Eagle Scout flew into a crowded Carlson Park nest on Sunday, when 18-year-old Culver High senior Matthew C. Rummelsburg officially joined his father and his older brother to become the proud family's third member to achieve the Boy Scouts of America's highest honor. Matthew Rummelsburg beamed as his mother, Rosalie " Rosie" Odell, pinned the vaunted Eagle Badge of Honor to his uniform in a ceremony at the local Elks Lodge in the 11000 block of Washington Place. His 22-year-old brother, Michael, obtained his own Eagle Badge in 2012 and drove down from his new home in San Francisco to emcee Sunday's event. Their father, Rod, achieved the honor more than 45 years ago and has been a top official with Culver Boy Scout Troop 113 for several years. " I couldn't be prouder of my brother than I am tonight," Michael Rummelsburg said on Sunday. " Believe me, I know how hard it is to earn Eagle status." Matthew Rummelsburg has been a standout player for the Centaurs' varsity baseball team in all four years of high school. He plans to attend El Camino College in the fall to study finance and other business-related fields. Less than two percent of the millions of youths who join Scouting each year eventually reach the Eagle ranking. To do so they must earn at least 21 merit badges-Matthew earned 27--provide numerous hours of service to their community, and demonstrate leadership to their peers and troop leaders. Perhaps the toughest requirement, though, is to organize and manage a large, service-oriented project that involves fellow Scouts and other volunteers. Matthew Rummelsburg's multi-faceted project provided agility training and baseball skills to more than 30 kids who belong to the Boys and Girls Club of Venice over the course of three weekends. He enlisted fellow Scouts and high school ballplayers from across the Westside and South Bay to help. As part of last weekend's ceremony he also received an American flag that flew over the nation's Capitol on March 8. The gift was arranged with the help of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). With so many challenges and temptations facing teenagers today, Rod Rummelsburg was asked how he and his wife of 25 years, Rosie, managed to keep their two sons on the " straight-and-narrow."