Sioux Falls man receives Boy Scouts awards decades after earning them

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The Boy Scouts of America have given a Sioux Falls man the awards he earned decades ago after completing his Eagle Scout rank.

The Boy Scouts awarded four Eagle Palms to Duane Greenfield while he celebrated his 101st birthday over the weekend with his family. The palms are awards given for merit badges earned after the 21 required to reach the Eagle Scout rank. Greenfield earned 41 merit badges.

The palm awards weren’t around when Greenfield was a Boy Scout. So, the organization made the awards retroactively for the work that Greenfield had accomplished long ago.

The Argus Leader says Greenfield joined the Boy Scouts in 1930 when he was 12 years old. He earned his Eagle Scout ranking at age 17. Scout officials say very few Eagles earn full palms.