I am very distressed about the state of Boy Scout Eagle projects. There was a time when painting a park bench for the third time was considered unworthy of an ESP. I am not a fan of scouting, don't get me wrong. I really don't care that much. Camping and hiking is pretty fun but it was hard for me to care about scouting as a youngster. We had good leaders all the way. As a leader myself? Forget about it. I'll stick with the Elders Quorum.
But one thing I am proud of is my ESP. I had a lot of help and it probably was not my idea, but I was there every step of the way and most of the time I remember just me and my dad.
My father grew up until his early teens in a place called Beryl, Utah. It is eastern Iron County, mostly farm land then and now. When his father died his whole family moved to the big city, St George, where they went to school and started adult life. My dad told me the other day if he would have been a few years older he would have stayed and ran the farm after his dad died in 1964 but his mom felt he was too young then, I think he was about 14. He was the oldest in the family. If he would have stayed, can you imagine me in Beryl, Utah? I'm no city slicker but that would be crazy. If you like The Cure in Beryl you don't last too long.
So my grandfather Scott died way before I was born and my dad had a brother that died as an infant and they are both buried in the Newcastle, Utah cemetery.
So someone, probably my dad, had the idea that this cemetery needed a flag. My dad and I went and got all the proper authorizations, got an old 60 foot light pole from SG city, cut the pole in the middle and bonded the pole to make it shorter, attached all the pulleys and balls on it, painted it, and then took it to Newcastle and installed it. We poured the slab and threw it in and it is still there to this day. I have not seen it for a few years, I should run up there with the family, but I ask about it all the time. That was 1986.
I am proud of that. Like I said, I did not do it all but I was there. I am proud of that project and I hope it will be there for decades to come. Back in the good ole days when Eagle Projects were something to be proud of and we walked to and from school uphill both ways.
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5 comments:
YOU CAME BACK.
hallelujah. did I spell that right?
that is a great eagle project. that's how they SHOULD be.
now PLEASE tell Dais to come back too.
You should be proud of that project. It is way cool to see on Memorial Day with the flag that you dad always puts up. You will have to carry on that tradition when he is gone. The city doesn't put one on it.
Tell me about it. Those eagles now days are pantie waists...
I just want to know what you think about Dustin's: He made hand-held chalkboards for a couple of kindergarten classrooms. He acts like it was a pretty difficult project for a 14 year old to pull off...I'm not sure--what do you think? I mean it's noble and all--and it's not a planter box (which is pretty much the norm)--but does it equal a flagpole? I'd like some feed back.
Em,
That project does not seem too outstanding on paper but if you think you are going to bait me in to calling Dustin out on a construction type project you are crazy. I have no doubt he made the best chalckboards known to man.
Yeah, you're probably right.
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