OAKLAND, Calif. – On the morning of July 29th, the Golden Gate Area Council recognized Apara Sai Jella (2021, National ESSPY) with the 2022 Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year (ESSPY). Within the Oakland City Hall, Eagle Scout Apara Sai was presented with award certificates for both the National Service Territory (NST) Three, as well as the overall National Service Project of the Year award! The presentation was made by Scout Executive Mike Hale (1977) and GGAC NESA Committee Member Rick Schempp (1967, NOESA, Life), respectively. In attendance were members of Apara Sai’s family, Troop 36G Scoutmaster Matt Chamberlain (1988), GGAC President-Elect Tom Weibert (1986, Life), Council Commissioner Michael Allison (1975, NOESA, Life), NESA Committee Staff Advisor Frank Yoke III (1973, NOESA, Life), along with GGAC NESA Committee members Jeff Orthman (1986, NOESA, Life) and Patrick Jaime (2013, Life).
Apara Sai, a member of Troop 36G (Danville, Meridian District) chartered by St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, was recognized for the Eagle Scout Service Project she completed on her trail to Eagle. You can read more about her award-winning project and its beneficiary, Project Pride, in the Michael On Scouting article, title 2022 Eagle Scout Project of the Year: She built a playground, meditation area for women’s rehab center.
To see photos of the ceremony, please visit the Golden Gate Area Council NESA Facebook page. Images come courtesy of GGAC professional Arnel Jaime.
Apara Sai is the first female Eagle Scout to win the National ESSPY award and is the first scout to be awarded the National title in Golden Gate Area Council’s History. The ESSPY dawns the name of former National NESA President Glenn Adams and his wife, Melinda.
The selection of the winning project came from a pool of GGAC Eagle Scout Service Project nominations. The NESA Awards committee, chaired by Jay Johnson (1969, NOESA, Life), selected Apara Sai’s as the Council’s Project of the Year, moving her project along for consideration by the NST. As the NST 3 Project of the Year winner, she became eligible for the national award, which she was recognized for, as mentioned above.
Nominations for the ESSPY are accepted yearly, with the opportunity open now for the 2022 Eagle Scout Class. Nominations can be submitted by visiting eagles.ggacbsa.org.
A special thanks to GGAC professionals Tim Cannard, Arnel Jaime, and Tim Welty for their on-site support during the recognition ceremony.
