wotimes.com

The Boy Scouts of America organization is honoring Dr. Albert Gleason for his years of dedication and service to the community. The tribute will take place March 5 at the ninth annual West Orange County Boy Scout Golden Eagle Luncheon at Tanner Hall in Winter Garden. Proceeds will help support the work of the Boy Scouts in the Rolling Hills District of the Central Florida Council.

Dave Stanford, a longtime friend of Dr. Gleason, is chairing the event. Besides Stanford, the following are serving on the Leadership Committee: Ward Britt, Dr. John Cappleman, Jim Carter, Jerry Chicone, Mark Griffith, Larry Grimes, Richard Irwin, Tim Keating, Bert Roper, Charlie Roper, Henry Sines, Gene Spears, Walter Toole, Ted Van Deventer and Lex Veech.

Dr. Gleason, 96, practiced medicine in an era when house calls were normal routine, and he even accepted house calls at his own home.

He grew up in the Bronx, N.Y., and earned his medical degree in 1938 from Hahnemann Medical School in Philadelphia. He interned at Orange Memorial Hospital (now Orlando Regional Medical Center) in Orlando. After serving as a flight surgeon in the United States Armed Services during World War II, he opened his first office on Plant Street in downtown Winter Garden.

In 1946, he opened a clinic on North Boyd Street, where he remained in practice until a few years ago.

In 1952, Gleason and others founded the old West Orange Hospital (now Health Central medical center), once located at Dillard and Division streets. He served as a member of the board, chairman of the board and chief of staff for many years during its operation. He was instrumental in founding the West Orange Memorial Tax District, as well, in 1949.

For more information on the Golden Eagle Luncheon, contact Alvin Cruz at 407-703-0234 or acruz@cfcbsa.org.

Last year, the Central Florida Council registered 8,000 new families in the Scouting program. Scouts collected 535,513 pounds of food for needy families, and more than 12,000 pounds were distributed in West Orange and South Lake counties. A total of 291 Boy Scouts earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Scouting. Forty of those came from the Rolling Hills District.

While 2,895 Boy Scouts attended the Central Florida Council's local summer camp program, another 1,743 Cub Scouts went to the summer camp program at area churches and institutions.

And to make sure all boys have the opportunity to enjoy Scouting, 14 at-risk youth programs were started in Central Florida.