Soaring Eagle Scout: Tyler W
When Tyler W with Troop 555 began planning for his Eagle project 2 years ago, he had no idea just how timely it would be. Tyler’s plan was very ambitious, to build a 24×36 picnic pavilion, outfitted with a concrete floor for his Chartered Organization New Hanover Presbyterian Church. After seeing the need expressed by church committee members for a pavilion in honor of a beloved church member, he began planning with Ken Richardson and Weedon Cloe who served as his Eagle Coaches.
Tyler had to go above the typical planning process when executing this Eagle Project. With a pavilion that large, he needed to get his plan approved through the county. He learned a lot about behind-the-scenes approvals and picking the appropriate building materials. He also learned about fundraising and asking for donations when raising money for said materials. “We had a lot of balls in the air and went through a lot of red tape to get things approved.” states Cloe.
When the time came to build the pavilion, COVID-19 began to spread in the United States. This caused a great deal of pivoting by Tyler and the crew. There was a limit of 10 people who could work on the pavilion at one time. That’s when Tyler implemented a communication system of calling, emailing and texting his volunteers to ensure there were never more than were allowed.
“This is surely the most impressive Eagle Project I’ve ever seen.” states Richardson. Altogether, Tyler spent a total of 780 hours on this project with a total of 20 volunteers including members of the Troop and contractors. Not only was there a concrete floor added, but Tyler and the team added special details such as sanded and stained posts, decorative hardware and brackets.
New Hanover Church is extremely happy about the new addition to their church which is dubbed the “Floyd E. Ellett Picnic Shelter.” This pavilion has been a credit to the church,
especially in times of social distancing. No sooner than the pavilion was built, the church built a stage for church services and Troop meetings. Stanard C. Parcell, Chartered Organization Representative of New Hanover Presbyterian Church remarks on the leadership of young Tyler, “I dare say Tyler has learned as much about patience and perseverance as he has the labyrinth of county project approval and inspection
processes. I’m not sure what is going on inside, due to his quiet, determined nature, but he makes it look like it’s no more than a minor annoyance.”
Way to go, Tyler W!