By PHOEBE DONALD ROBINSON / Community Columnist

Shelby County has a long, distinguished tradition of supporting the Boy Scouts of America. Today, there are 1,650 scouts in 51 units with 69 scouts earning the Eagle rank in 2014. Eagle projects historically improve schools and community needs.

In Columbiana, the Hume Scout Park in front of Columbiana City Hall as well as the renovation and GPS marking of the Columbiana City Cemetery are the product of thousands of hours and cumulative Eagle projects.

Scouts have a long-standing policy that any boy can be a member regardless of financial income.

Scouting, as anything, requires many expenses such as uniforms, registration fees, campout and summer camp fees.

To help raise much-needed funds for the Shelby County Division of the Greater Alabama Council Boy Scouts of America, Mayor Stancil Handley along with Evan Major and committee have joined forces to produce a breakfast in support of the Boy Scouts.

Major is chairman of the event, Monday, March 9 at 7:30 a.m. at Columbiana United Methodist Church.

Keynote speaker is Jeremiah Castille, chaplain of the University of Alabama.

Castille will speak on his life story and how it relates to scouting values.

Castille grew up in the housing projects in Columbus, Ga., and used his passion and talent for football to further his life.

He attended the University of Alabama on a football scholarship under Paul “Bear” Bryant as a defensive back from 1979-1982.

He was a member of the 1979 National Championship Team, 1982 College All-American Team, drafted in 1983 in the third NFL round to Tampa Bay where he played for six seasons.

He finished his NFL career in 1988 with 14 interceptions.

The scouting breakfast, cooked by the United Methodist men, will honor four outstanding Shelby County heroes with the Heart of an Eagle Scouting Award: Former Sheriff Chris Curry, former District Attorney Robby Owens, current Sheriff John Samaniego and retired Scoutmaster Sid Wheeler.

Table sponsorship for eight, which includes program recognition is $400.

Individual tickets are $50, all benefitting the Shelby County Boy Scouts.

For more information, call Major at (205) 451-8156 or ekmajor@bellsouth.net.

Reservations due by March 3.