From NCCS
The National Catholic Committee on Scouting (NCCS) has awarded Maximilian Clement from State College the $2,000 Emmett J. Doerr Memorial Scout Scholarship.
Clement belongs to Our Lady of Victory Parish in State College and is a member of Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Troop 245 in the Juniata Valley Council. This year, NCCS awarded ten service scholarships totaling $27,000 to recognize Scouts nationwide for outstanding service and leadership in four areas: the Catholic Church, their community, school and Scouting.
Clement truly embodies the idea of servant leadership. When asked why volunteering is important to him, he responded, “Volunteer experiences have helped me to grow in humility and find joy in service to others. We are all called to serve our neighbors and our communities. God has gifted each of us with a specific set of talents that we are to use for the good of others. If I wish to expect anything out of my community, then I have to give something to it in return.”
In service to the Catholic Church, Clement serves as an altar server and musician. He has participated in the living stations of the cross, youth group and parish events. Clement is a gifted writer and won first place in the Catholic Daughters Local Essay Contest in 2021, 2022 and 2023. He placed second in the state contest in 2022 and third in state in 2023. Clement has earned three of the Roman Catholic Religious Emblems offered by NCCS.
Clement actively serves his community through military organizations including the American Legion, American Legion Ladies Auxiliary, American Legion Riders and the Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots program. He won third place in the 2023 American Legion Post 245 Essay Contest. Clement has also been involved with community outreach programs with Bellefonte Moose Lodge, Scouts BSA Camp Mountain Run and as a St. Vincent de Paul thrift store volunteer. He worked as a children’s page at the Schlow Centre Region Library and started his own business, Clement Brothers Lawn Care and Snow Removal.
Dual enrolled in PA Homeschoolers and State College Area High School, Clement is passionate about music and has performed and served as an officer with the high school’s chamber orchestra and cello choir. He is also active in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA). With PMEA, he was selected as the first chair district cellist in 2022 and 2023, PMEA Region Cellist and PMEA All State Cellist. Clement was also All Eastern Cellist with the National Association for Music Education. He is a member of the National Association of Home Builders and competed in SkillsUSA. Larson serves as an officer with Technology Student Association (TSA) and won first place in architecture in the TSA Regional Competition.
In Scouting, Clement has participated in National Youth Leadership Training and held numerous troop leadership positions, including senior patrol leader and is a member and chapter officer of the Order of the Arrow (OA), BSA’s honor society. He has earned the Ranger Award, National Outdoor Award, Historic Trails Award and Den Chief Service Award, all of which have a service component. For his Eagle Scout project, Clement designed and constructed an 8-by-12-foot songbird enclosure for a private non-profit organization, Centre Wildlife Care (CWC). CWC cares for and rehabilitates wildlife that have been injured. He raised $4,000 and secured donated materials to build the structure leading a team of 11 scouts in over 200 hours of service to complete the project. He says, “Throughout the process, I experienced firsthand knowledge of many construction challenges and setbacks, while developing a greater leadership skill set.” In addition to the structure, he was able to donate $1,000 to CWC to support the animals and expenses of the organization. Clement has assisted 11 other Scouts to complete their Eagle Scout Projects.
