Partnership, Photography, and Philanthropy: Boy Scouts of American and the LEAP Ambassadors

The concept of helping other people is central to the BSA “Scout Oath,” while also being integral to the mission of the LEAP Ambassadors. It was perhaps no surprise, then, that these two organizations would eventually work together and, in doing so, would help others.

The partnership was prompted by Troop 114’s end-of-the-school-year celebration, a need for photography, and a request from Gene Roberts. So, in mid-May, with temperatures hovering around 95, the LEAP Ambassadors came armed with cameras to do individual, family, and group photos of the Scouts.

The immediate result was more than 200 photographs of young people, their families, and scout leaders.

The young people did a good job in the face of heat, delays, and the youthful discomfort of being the center of attention in a crowd of peers and the camera’s gaze.

It was a learning process for us as photographers. While we have a competence with the technical aspects of the camera, we do little formal photography. We also don’t do a lot of posing of other people, particularly young children and groups with extreme height differences. So, it was a little overwhelming at times, trying to keep up with camera settings, posing and positioning, backgrounds, impatience, and changing light conditions, not to mention the heat. In turn, this led to longer wait-times for the photography, which must have been frustrating to the Scouts and their families.

Nonetheless, we were able to take more 1,500 photographs in a matter of an hour, with some of the children showing an inclination for attention.

We stayed for another hour or so, photographing the Scout meeting…

…and we were generously offered meals from the Troop’s potluck dinner, and in the process, learned more about Scouts, their mission, and the contributions to those involved and to the community at large.

Indeed, although we offered to do the photography for free, many generous parents/leaders donated $360 to LEAP. In turn and in the spirit of the community-minded impulse that animates the Scouts, we matched the donation and contributed it to the Salvation Army of Kerry .

Insights from a “City Fellow” Experience

by Macey Schank

As a City Fellows intern, I’m spending the summer working with the Huntsville City Manager’s Office and learning all about how a city operates. As part of this well-rounded experience, I attended a City Council meeting to gain a deeper understanding of how decisions are made and how various municipal departments collaborate through the council’s leadership.

This was my very first time attending a council meeting, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Before the meeting began, I had the chance to reconnect with several city officials from different departments, including my former supervisors Penny Joiner, the Parks Director, and Kristy Wheeler, the Parks Administrative and Recreation Coordinator, from my previous internship with Parks and Recreation.

The meeting opened with a call to order and a proclamation from Mayor Humphrey declaring July as Parks and Recreation Month, recognizing the vital role the department plays in enriching our city. From there, the agenda moved into voting on public improvement projects and grant funding, including items related to airport improvements, water erosion issues, and enhancements to the public library with a new makerspace. The meeting itself was structured and efficient, a far less confusing experience than I had imagined. It moved smoothly from one item to the next, with each discussion focused and purposeful.

Observing the council in action was much more engaging than I expected. It gave me a practical look at how parliamentary procedures are applied and how council members and city staff work together to serve the public.

Attending the meeting helped me connect the dots between the work I’ve done this summer and how those efforts support broader city goals. It gave me a deeper appreciation for the behind-the-scenes effort and preparation that go directly into the policy discussions and project planning at the council level.

Before becoming a City Fellows intern, I had no idea how much coordination and planning go into city operations. This internship has not only helped me build real-world skills that will strengthen my resume, but it has also made me a more informed and engaged member of the community. I now have a better understanding of how local government functions, and these firsthand experiences have given me a foundation to build on in future roles.

A Day on the SHMM Grounds

Throughout the summer, the Sam Houston Memorial Museum and Republic of Texas Presidential Library offers “Spotlight Saturday” programs (10am-2pm), with each one highlighting different aspects of 19th century life.

This past Saturday, LEAP enjoyed one of our many visits to the Museum to learn about spinning, home-made ice cream as made during Sam Houston’s time, and the art of dueling, an interestingly complex artifact of another time.

The ice-cream, always a significant draw, wasn’t quite ready when we arrived, so we walked the Museum’s grounds (approximately 18 acres), enjoying this rustic retreat nestled in the heart of the community. There were waterfowl…

…squirrels, and turtles, including one that had a special need for attention.

When we returned, they were still churning the ice cream.

So, we ventured into the gift shop, which, in many ways, is a typical gift shop for a historical site. There are t-shirts, mugs, magnets, and the like.

But a few things distinguish the Wigwam Neosho. They have a nice book collection, including one written by Mac Woodward, one illustrated by Wade Dillon, and one written by an assemblage of students and staff, as well the excellent Houston biography written by James Haley. Moreover, Neosho has soap and pottery made on the Museum grounds, a nice touch.

We purchased one, this one made by Grady Mangum, who worked at SHSU.

Some of the bowls were a good size for ice-cream, but as it turns out, the ice cream wasn’t yet ready.

Accordingly, we checked out the spinning, which drew a full house.

After roaming the historic buildings on site…

…we managed to catch the leadup to one of the docents’ dueling sessions.

Phillips discussed some of the preparation work…

…including showing off the weapons used (which are also on display in the Museum).

Tim Ross and Matt Phillips discussed the finer points of dueling “etiquette,” which involved the use of seconds/mediaries, how to extricate yourself from an impending duel, and the negotiations over the specifications of the duel (weapon choice, number of paces). Timed for exactly “high noon,” the duel took place in front of us; Ross and Phillips did a realistic enactment of the contest–without, of course, real bullets–taking their paces, aiming, and firing, and without hurting anyone.

With the suspense over and the heat of the day bearing down, we turned back to the porch for ice cream. Unfortunately, it wasn’t ready.

After more than two hours on the grounds and feeling the heat and the pangs of hunger, we prepared to leave, having enjoyed the structures, the nature, and the gift shop, albeit without the ice cream.

Discovering the Dizzying Magic of “Vertigo” at Houston’s River Oaks Theatre

By Brian Aldaco

In classic LEAP fashion current students and LEAP alumni joined forces in Houston for a viewing of one of Hollywood’s most celebrated films, Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo. The screening is part of The Summer of Hitchcock, a joint literary venture between Brazos Bookstore and River Oaks Theatre.

As part of this summer project, Houston-area Hitchcock fans are invited to read “The Lady Vanishes,” “Vertigo,” and “Psycho,” and watch the film adaptations directed by the Master of Suspense at the newly re-opened River Oaks Theatre.

With its glistening art deco marquee, this 1939 theatre is nestled on West Grey St. in one of the most emblematic Houston neighborhoods, for which the theatre is named. Following a post-pandemic closure of the theatre, which many Houston area cinephiles feared would be permanent (this writer included), the theater finally re-opened last October. While it retained its screening of classic, contemporary, and independent movies, the interior has been renovated to adapt to the new movie-goer expectations, while also offering seat-side meal service.


For most of the group members that joined us at the showing, it was our first time watching this adaptation of Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac’s French novel “D’entre les morts” (“Among the Dead”). Released in 1958, Vertigo follows a mysterious investigation led by a recently retired San Francisco detective. Tasked by an old college friend to follow his wife who is feared to be obsessively replicating the actions of a mysterious ancestor, the former detective, played by Jimmy Stewart, along with the equally intrigued audience, tour the city of San Francisco while trailing the college friend’s wife, played by Kim Novak.

The film has been widely praised, and in fact, was ranked as the greatest film of all time in a 2012 poll of international film critics (it “slipped” to #2 in 2022). Nonetheless, the craftsmanship managed to impress and surprise. In Hitchcockian fashion, the narrative is told through expertly orchestrated POV and over-the-shoulder shots, evoking a sense of voyeurism of which the movie’s protagonist extensively takes part in throughout his investigation.

The film showcases the costume design of Hollywood legend Edith Head, which complements the equally impressive cinematography of Robert Burkes, whose striking use of color film stock (and color theory), impressive panoramas of San Francisco and San Francisco Bay, and a subjective camera contribute to the film’s beauty and psychological themes.

Such cinematic feats are perhaps most famously illustrated by the “Vertigo Zoom,” engineered by second-unit cameraman Irmin Roberts. Ask by Hitchcock to create a visual metaphor for the protagonist’s vertigo, Roberts used a subjective camera (from Stewart’s perspective) and dollied the camera toward the ground level of a staircase while simultaneously zooming the lens out (or away) from the ground level.

This effect has since been used in countless films, most famously in “Jaws,” “Goodfellas,” and “The Lord of the Rings.”

Vertigo, as with many of Hitchcock’s works, is a testament to the range of emotions that can be transmitted to an audience through stellar acting, a vivid imagination, and plethoric cinematic techniques implemented by an auteur director with a clear vision.

The whole experience reminds the viewer that this piece of cinematic literature deserves contemplation in a proper movie theatre. In the Houston of 2025, Star-Cinema-Grill owned or not, it’s difficult to think of a better site than River Oaks Theatre, and even more difficult to think of a better group of people with whom to see it.

An Opening Reception to Remember: Elkins Artisans at Wynne Home Arts and Visitor Center

by Olivia Discon

On July 8, 2025, the Wynne Home Arts and Visitor Center–a pillar in the Huntsville community for the arts–hosted an opening reception for its newest art exhibit featuring a local art group known as “Elkins Artisans”. The gallery features 13 local artists from the Elkins Lake community–and a variety of mediums at that!

One of the artists, Jeannie Boyle, commanded the room with a brief opening statement about the group and the important work they do to support the arts in the Elkins Lake and Huntsville community. Many of the artists are good friends with one another, some are even related or married! This goes to show that community engagement and the arts go hand in hand.

Each artist in attendance took turns discussing how they entered the art world, the kind of work they do, and most interestingly, why they love what they do! It was really fun to see each of the artists emerge from the audience and light up at the chance to speak about their work. Some do it as a hobby, and others, professionally. Nevertheless, each had a unique story to tell. 

Donna Coulter is a ceramicist who got her start into pottery on a Groupon deal. From that point on, she cites that experience as a turning point in her life. On the piano in the gallery, Coulter had 10 pieces on display–inspired by an Australian ceramics class. 

Mike Gaultz, a wood turner, had a lovely set of bowls on display. So lovely, in fact, some were immediately sold 15 minutes into the event! The patron was visibly proud of his newest piece of art.

An artist that stood out to many was Gale Pruitt and her work called “Life’s Just a Game Anyway”. The bronze sculpture features a mirror image of two women looking into a reflection of how they perceive themselves. While that was thought-provoking in and of itself, she also noted that they were both standing on a checkerboard floor, as life is just a game anyways!

There were several watercolor artists featured in the gallery–Mary Wolfskill, Pat Fekete, Tonia Brown, Jeannie and Bill Boyle. While each artist was definitely distinct from one another, they individually expressed a relative sense of enjoyment with the medium and the ability to experiment with it.

Among the oil paintings, I have to say Barri Green’s Jazz Singer was my favorite piece. The expression on the musician’s face was very realistic and filled with emotion. It’s hard to articulate other than I found it extremely refreshing and visually appealing.

There were also some incredible pieces in oil paint from Trish Roberts and Betty Liles. Macey enjoyed Betty’s painting of the cattle that hung on the mantle.

Randy Carlson, a gemologist and gemstone artist, specializes in the official cut of Texas, known as the Lone Star Cut. He also took the time to educate Macey on the official gemstone of Texas, which is Blue Topaz for any curious readers. After the remarks, Randy did a demo of the Lone Star Cut for those who were curious about the process. While we only saw a piece of the puzzle, I could only imagine how intricate and time consuming this process might be! 

In all, this event was fabulous. It not only served as a gathering place to celebrate the efforts of a local art group, but it also provided a sense of pride to Huntsville by extension of the community they’ve built. It was an opportunity to meet new people, connect with old friends, and feel good about the good things going on in our community.

I would highly recommend you check out this exhibit at the Wynne Home, which will be on display until September.