Dale Farney is almost a paradigm of the child every parent
dreams of raising. He gets good marks in school, plays first base
for his baseball team, the Brewers, has worked at the Salvation
Army and the local library, and is a member of a Christian youth
group. All in all, Dale’s your typical overachiever, but one thing
in particular sets him apart: He suffers from Down Syndrome.
Hollister – Dale Farney is almost a paradigm of the child every parent dreams of raising. He gets good marks in school, plays first base for his baseball team, the Brewers, has worked at the Salvation Army and the local library, and is a member of a Christian youth group. All in all, Dale’s your typical overachiever, but one thing in particular sets him apart: He suffers from Down Syndrome.
But Dale hasn’t let that hold him back from getting what he wants out of life – which is pretty much everything. This weekend, he and his family will celebrate an occasion that proves he’s well on his way to getting it. On Saturday, Oct. 23, Dale will be honored in his very own Eagle ceremony, where he will be officially recognized as an Eagle Scout, the highest and most prestigious rank of Boy Scout one can achieve.
Becoming an Eagle Scout is quite a lofty goal, even for boys without medical disorders such as Dale’s. In fact, only about 4 percent of all Boy Scouts advance to the rank of Eagle Scout, according to the Boy Scouts of America National Council, and for good reason. The journey from Boy Scout to Eagle Scout is a huge undertaking, involving years of tests, projects and performance reviews by council members.
“It’s pretty special,” says Dale’s Boy Scout troop leader Ken Fuller. “It’s hard for any boy to become an Eagle. All of the younger kids (in the Cub Scouts) really look up to them. They know it’s a big deal.”
Becoming an Eagle Scout has been Dale’s dream for years, and he has never thought of his condition as an excuse to make the process easier.
“It’s always been him pushing (his mom and me) on,” his father Brian Farney said. “We used to ask him all the time, ‘Are you sure you want to keep doing this?’ And every time, he just kept answering ‘Yes!’ Eventually, we just stopped asking.”
In order to become an Eagle, a Boy Scout has to earn 21 required merit badges in areas like sports and nature. Dale, of course, earned 25.
“They definitely didn’t water it down for him at all,” said Brian of the requirements. “If anything, it was harder for him.”
The rules were altered a bit for Dale’s situation, allowing him some leeway in areas like sports. Still, Dale had to participate in activities deemed to be at the same level of difficulty for him as the standard required sports would be for the other scouts. But the hardest of all the tests, Dale said, was for his Citizenship badge. He had to learn about commerce, tariffs, American heritage and the history of Hollister to get the badge. While Brian looked back on relearning his American history to teach to his son with an air of relief that it was over, Dale remembered it fondly.
“Dad, do you remember John C. Fremont’s middle name?” Dale asked his father mischievously, trying to hold back a smile.
“No, I don’t think I do,” Brian answered.
“It’s Charles!” Dale said and burst into the grin he’d been holding back.
“You know, Dale, I’ll bet you’re right,” said Brian.
Brian and his wife Susan seem to know exactly what they’re doing. Their oldest son, Devin, is an Eagle Scout, and Dale said it was Devin who inspired him to become one as well. The youngest Farney brother, Tyler, who is 14, is currently a Boy Scout who just might carry on the new family tradition of going Eagle Scout one day. Dale would be proud if his little brother did rise to the rank of Eagle.
“Keep ’em comin’!” he says.
Dale will be holding his Eagle ceremony at the County Historical Park outside Hollister, where he reconstructed the steps in front of the old dance hall as his final project before becoming an Eagle Scout. He always knew he wanted the dance hall to be his final project, and when the time came he studied old pictures to make sure the steps were built accurately, found a contractor for the job, went before the Historical Committee to get permission to rebuild, and supervised a group of fellow scouts in the construction of the steps.
Rain or shine, Dale wants his big day to be at the dance hall where he accomplished so much, and he’s starting to get very excited about it.
“It’s gonna be great!” he exclaimed, saying there will be guest speakers, friends and family members, fellow scouts, and – possibly the most exciting part of all – donuts. Lots and lots of them if he plays his cards right, and he’s certainly trying.
“Bring on the donuts!” he hints not-so-subtly to his parents, who laugh and remind him that there’s more to life than breakfast pastries.
But Dale hardly needs reminding of that. He knows his future is full of excitement, including dressing up as the Incredible Hulk (complete with green, roar-producing, fist-shaped gloves) for Halloween, going on family camping trips (his favorite thing to do), mastering his new GameCube (a recent gift from his parents), becoming a Boy Scout Counselor (to stay involved with the group now that he is 18) and, eventually, Gavilan College, after which, he’d like to become an entertainer.
What kind? “A singer,” he says after thinking about it for a few moments, “I’m going to be a singer.” At this point, Dale’s parents burst into good-natured laughter.
“Honey, I’ve heard your singing voice,” Susan told him. “Are you sure you want to be a singer?”
“Yes,” Dale answered her earnestly.
“Well,” Brian said, “you can do it.”
