Before he was a political mover and shaker, St. Paul City Council Member Dai Thao was an Eagle Scout –the highest rank a Boy Scout can achieve.
It’s a rare honor within the scouts, and one that Dai Thao shares with about 100 fellow Hmong Eagle Scouts from the Northern Star Council’s Troop 100 in Minneapolis.
The predominantly Hmong Boy Scout Troop is led by retired Minneapolis School Teacher David Moore, who has been at the helm for decades. (And yes, Moore — who looks happy as a clam in this picture — was the council member’s troop leader some 20 years ago.)
Dai Thao is Eagle Scout No. 26 of 108 Eagle Scouts produced by the troop since the early 1980s. At noon on Saturday, the council member will address Troop 100 during an Eagle Scout “Code of Honor” ceremony at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in downtown Minneapolis.
The Scoop doffs its winter cap in respect.