Mar 12, 2011

My personal Eagle Project

Scouting will be the subject of many of my historical stories. I was not the most avid scouter as a youth but became such many years later. However the reason it became so intense an interest in my later life was due to a few stories that did occur in my youth. One such story was the story of my Eagle Project. I was I suppose as many of the youth of today and dutifully did my project even though I didn’t understand the scope of the reasons for it’s being required.

The reason for an Eagle project is so that the youth can show his use of the leadership  skills that he has learned through his scouting experiences.

I didn’t know that back then but as I look back now I realize that I did have to use many skills that in the time since then I have fallen back on many times.

My project was a deep cleaning of the LDS church meeting house where we went each Sunday to church. I had a number of good friends during my youth and most of them were involved in this project since we all went to church each week together.  One of special interest was also there whom I later married and with whom I still do many scouting projects and activities. Marie and I were about fifteen at the time if I remember correctly. (Another story that will require verification from Mom’s journals.) I had planned what we needed to do including such things as removal of gum from under the benches and washing the windows on the inside and out. I can’t remember how many were there but I do remember working on one of the windows and Marie was working on the next one to the side of me. It was such a special feeling that I suppose it stuck where many other details have long been forgotten.  It was tough one of the many times during our youth that I knew I loved her (or thought I did at that age, I have since discovered that it was love but not to that extent that it has since become.) I always enjoyed being around her during those years as we were growing up and she made many of my memories very pleasant.

I went on to earn my Eagle Rank even though it was several years later as I was nearing my eighteenth birthday. Another story.