Soaring Eagle
Eagle Scout Luke S. with Troop 521’s Eagle Scout project was to rebuild a local church’s handicapped ramp. Luke’s Scouting journey started at Kenwood United Methodist Church in Ashland, Virginia. Most of his Cub Scout meetings were held there, so it holds a special place in his life. Inspired to give back to a community that has given so much to him, he asked if he could rebuild the church handicap ramp that was in poor condition at the time. The church has a lot of older people that use the ramp and if they did not have it, they could not get into the Church for Sunday Service
Luke secured all the materials and equipment from a local deck builder and recruited five other Scouts and family members to help with the project. Building the ramp took one day and it was in great shape. After church service, all the members of Kenwood Church had a dedication for the ramp. The members were thankful for making the ramp strong and safe again. When asked about the project, Luke states “I was happy to help the church and it was nice to see all the people who needed it being able to go up there safely.”
Great job, Luke!
Eagle Scout Chris B. from Troop 6504 in Amelia worked with Madeline’s House to build a playhouse for the children of the families staying there. He stated that working on his project was one of the most rewarding experiences he’s had in his life. “I knew when I became a Life Scout I wanted to do something as an Eagle Project I was passionate about, but something which would also serve a real need. When I was searching for projects in the surrounding area, my mom had mentioned a women’s domestic shelter called Madeline’s House. When I went to their website, to my surprise, they actually had a list of their needs which included a playhouse for the children staying there. I knew then this was what I wanted to do.” said Chris.
After contacting Madeline’s House confirming their needs and his idea for building a playhouse from scratch, he started the “Eagle Project Process.” He started searching for playhouse designs he thought would fit best in the area he was to place the house. In short, the actual construction went quite smoothly whether that was getting all the materials donated, or the valuable volunteers he had each day.
After a mere week of having the playhouse there at Madeline’s House, Chris visited the residence to get a signature from the beneficiary and the welcome he received was unimaginable. Everyone working at the office there came out and personally thanked him for the playhouse and proceeded to explain the huge impact it had on not only on the children there, but the mothers as well. The joy the house provided to the children, gave the mothers themselves joy and piece of mind in a time in their lives which is often anything but.
If you would like to submit an Eagle Scout Candidate to be featured as our monthly Soaring Eagle, please send a short summary and 2-5 pictures to info@scoutingva.org.
September Soaring Eagle:
Eagle Scout Lucas H. from Troop 6504 in Amelia worked with Amelia County High School to build an adaptive swing set playground area for students with special needs. Lucas was having trouble narrowing down prospective Eagle Scout projects until one of his teachers suggested building a dedicated playground for students at his local high school. Lucas loved the idea. He knew that the new adaptive swing set would provide students with the chance to improve their muscle strength, motor skills, and create positive health benefits.
Lucas realized this was no easy task so he immediately set to work. His design had to go before the school board for approval and then he had to raise the needed $4,300 in a short time span in order to fund the project. Lucas set up a GoFundMe page and a Facebook page where he could update donors and supporters on the progress. Amelia High School sponsored special spirit days to raise money and Lucas received several generous donations from community business owners including Cox & Company and Shade & Wise.
After several months, Lucas was joined by dozens of volunteers (many of them students) to help with the completion of his project. Lucas had set a goal for himself, to install the swing set and mulch before the beginning of school. This was a goal that he was able to accomplish thanks to his determination, generous donors, and lots of helping hands. This year when special needs students arrive at Amelia High School a new site will greet them; their very own playground!
When asked about the project Lucas states, ‘It was a long stressful process.” “It made me really happy because they now get to play on it whenever they want, any day they like for as long as they want,” said Hasenfus. “That’s just great to me.”
August Soaring Eagle:
Eagle Scout Candidate Jamie B. from Troop 869 designed a way for disabled veterans to enjoy the outdoor garden at McGuire Veterans Hospital. While visiting the hospital, Jamie noticed that the path leading to the memorial garden was unusable and unsafe for many of the residents. Most of the patients that reside in that wing of the hospital cannot walk and need wheelchairs to maneuver around the hospital and grounds.
Jamie examined the existing conditions, discussed ideas with hospital management, and created several sketches of his design. In the end, Jamie decided to completely remove the current gravel path and to replace it with paving stones. This would enhance the beauty and design structure of the garden while providing a new walkway that was both wheelchair and walker accessible.
Jamie scheduled work days and recruited 12 of his fellow Scouts and family members to assist him in the execution of his project. He used the money he had earned from working the summer at Camp T. Brady Saunders and donations to purchase rocks, gravel, wood, and sand for his Eagle Project. During implementation, Jamie was faced with many unforeseen challenges. There were stubborn roots that had to be removed before pavers could be laid. It also proved extremely difficult to join the new walkway with the existing path. This task required cutting pavers into a variety of different shapes and sizes. In the end, Jamie led his team in almost doubling the scale of his original plan and in expanding the project to include further beautification of the garden and its surrounding flower beds.
Jamie’s completed Eagle Project was a great success. The McGuire Veterans Hospital was very appreciative and pleased with the results. Jamie’s project gave disabled veterans the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the gardens and provided them with an outdoor space to relax and socialize with visitors and fellow residents.
Jamie shares what he learned from his experience, “The most rewarding part of leading this project was being able to see this idea be put to work and watch how every phase of the project played out from concept, to development, and then to finishing. It was a rewarding experience that gave me a better idea of what being a leader in the professional world feels like and what skills it requires.”
July Soaring Eagle:
Eagle Scout candidate Ben O. knew he wanted to use his Eagle project to make a difference in the lives of children in his local community. After discussing possibilities with John Dwyer from Read to Them, Ben was connected with the Carol Adams Foundation, Inc. The foundation’s mission is to provide emergency assistance to parents and children who are victims of domestic violence. The foundation offers a safe place for families to heal and provides them with assistance to become self-sufficient. After sharing ideas with the founder, Carol Adams, Ben designed a fun, inviting reading nook for the children visiting the center to enjoy but he didn’t stop there.
Ben shares his thoughts, “I have completed the project for the Carol Adams Foundation but am going one step further to ensure I give them as much help as possible.”
Driven to provide more, Ben began additional fundraising efforts by reaching out to community business leaders. This resulted in enabling him to provide a wall size forest mural and a hand-painted cabin façade. He also has organized several book drives to stock their shelves with empowering literature. Ben would like to thank Maia Kling and John Dwyer from Read to Them, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that promotes family literacy by putting books in the hands of children. Papa Murphy’s Take and Bake Pizza also provided food and fundraising opportunities for the project.
Inspired and wanting to do even more, Ben and his family are researching ways to implement a reading program that would include having older Scouts read to the children.
If you would like to learn more about the reading program or are interested in helping provide books for children at the foundation, please e-mail Ben and Shauna Olson at shauna_olson@yahoo.com.
