School’s principal a man of strong principles
Perhaps Dean Scheele’s judgment can be questioned.
After all, he spent Friday night, Jan. 4, sleeping in a hollowed-out snow pile in the parking lot at First Evangelical Lutheran School. The overnight temperature dipped into the upper-20s. But for Scheele, spending the night sleeping outdoors was a matter of preparation and honor.
The school’s leader had a promise to keep.
Scheele, as he has done before, made a pact last fall with the school’s students involving the amount of money they could raise during the Marathon for Non-Public Education. If they raised $9,000 or more, Scheele promised to sleep outside overnight during January. The students generated over $10,000 in pledges for the school, money intended for technology at First Evangelical Lutheran.
With a keen eye on the forecast, Scheele knew the stretch of mild weather Glencoe and the region are enjoying made Friday night/Saturday morning the right time to fulfill his obligation. With a sleeping bag rated for around 0 degrees, a warm jacket and plenty of insulation between himself and the ground, the principal hunkered down for the night after 10 p.m.
(For the complete story,see the Jan. 9 print edition of The Chronicle.)