Communities benefit from hours of Boy Scout work

by Charles Mahaleris

Boy Scouts working on their Eagle Scout service projects in Kennebec, Lincoln, Knox, Somerset and Franklin Counties in 2016 provided more than 6500 hours of service to their communities as they worked towards Scouting’s highest honor. The Kennebec Valley District Boy Scout committee released the numbers on the 2016 Eagle Scout class and they show that 37 young men in our area completed all requirements for the Eagle Scout rank and one female Venture Crew member from Winslow who has dual citizenship in Canada earned Scouts Canada’s equivalent to the Eagle badge- the Chief Scout of Canada. Together they provided leadership to projects that gave 6,635 hours of service.

Eagle Scout Devon Handley, right, of Troop #401 Sidney, with Scoutmaster Ryan Poulin. Photo courtesy of Charles Mahaleris

Over the years, requirements for the Eagle Scout Award have changed to meet the needs of the era; however, certain elements of the program have remained true from the original Eagle Scout requirements. A boy must demonstrate citizenship and caring for his community and others, leadership qualities, and outdoor skills that show his self-sufficiency and ability to overcome obstacles. Today, a boy must earn 21 merit badges, 12 of which are required. Beyond the merit badges, a candidate must also plan and carry out a service project to benefit the community. In addition, he must have held a troop leadership position during his Scouting tenure. Finally, the Eagle Scout candidate undergoes a rigorous board of review in which his district, council, and troop leaders evaluate his “attitude and practice of the ideals of Scouting.” Achieving the rank of Eagle Scout must happen before a boy’s 18th birthday.

Scouting in Kennebec Valley District is run by hundreds volunteer leaders with support from a small professional staff. One of the key leaders is District Commissioner Charlie Fergusson of Windsor. “The importance of achieving the rank of Eagle Scout cannot be overstated! The impact it has on, not only the Boy Scouts’ future, but also the parents and family of the Eagle Scout. It is an accomplishment never forgotten. I am forever proud that I have two sons who achieved scouting’s’ highest rank that there are no words that can do it justice. It has already opened so many doors of opportunity for both of them, such as colleges and career opportunities. I cannot tell you how many times when I have discussed scouting that someone has said they have a Father, Brother, or Brothers who are Eagle Scouts and how it has immeasurably improved their life circumstances. Eagle Scout is more than a rank in scouting. It is a life changer,” Fergusson said.

Part of the rank of Eagle requires the youth member to give leadership to a meaningful project that will benefit their community. Kennebec Valley District which delivers Scouting to the five counties of Kennebec, Lincoln, Knox, Franklin and Somerset- saw projects ranging from trail improvements in Benton to the preservation of the history of local veterans at the Library of Congress, from tree and plant identification signs at Smithfield Plantations to the collection of school supplies for needy children in Zambia, from the construction of costume racks and theatre improvements at Gardiner Area High School to the securing of back to school supplies for kids in the foster child program, and from the construction of a bridge at the West Gardiner Nature Trail to the crafting of 50 baby quilts for sick babies and toddlers at Reddington Fairview General Hospital, and from major improvements at the Quaker Hill Cemetery in China to the building of lockers for personal equipment at Titcomb Mountain Ski Area in Farmington. The list goes on and on.

Eagle Scout Willie Neubauer, right, and his mom, Angela, holding one of the 50 quilts that were donated to the sick children at Redington-Fairview General Hospital, in Skowhegan. Photo courtesy of Charles Mahaleris

Ryan Poulin is the Scoutmaster of Troop #401 in Sidney and saw several Scouts earn their Eagle rank last year. “In today’s society, the Scouting program couldn’t be more important to a young person. I have personally experienced the impact that the Scouting program has had on these individuals and their families. The scouting program has been and continues to be a pillar in our local community setting a strong foundation for everyone. I am still amazed at how the Scouting programs continue to grow in our community state and nation and I could not be any prouder to be part of such a great organization.”
The Eagle Scout badge was first given in 1912 to Arthur Eldred, a Scout from Brooklyn, New York. By 1982, more than 1 million young men had reached the rank, and the 2 millionth Eagle Scout was recognized in 2009. In 2011, the BSA welcomed more than 51,000 new Eagle Scouts. The organization has averaged more than 50,000 new Eagle Scouts per year over the past six years.

Young men who earned Eagle nationally in 2015 combined to record 8,503,337 hours of service on Eagle projects. That’s an average of 156.4 hours of service per Eagle project. With the value of volunteer time at $23.07 an hour, that means Eagle Scouts and the volunteers they led contributed more than $196 million worth of time working on these projects.

Chris Bernier, retiring Scoutmaster of Troop #433 in Winslow: “I have seen a huge growth in my daughter Paige since she started her Scouting trail. Transitioning from Scouts Canada to Venturing BSA has been great for her. Also watching Boy Scouts within our own Troop and Crew we have seen a climb in membership as kids these days are positively impacted when serving their community. I have observed that charge of positivity in the youth become infectious between circles of friends. Our program has seen membership growth because of the eagerness of our youth to serve. Just ten years ago Winslow only had seven scouts, and in that time we have grown to over 35 youth active in Scouting/Venturing.”

The following local scouts earned the rank of Eagle in 2016:

Devon Handley, Troop #401, Sidney; Parker Denico, Troop #410, Vassalboro; Jonathon Cook, Troop #431, Skowhegan; Dan Brown, Troop #479, China; Jacob Brownd, Troop #479, China; Tayler Croft, Troop #417, Waterville; Christian Hunter, Troop #479, China; Paige Spears, Crew #433, Winslow (Chief Scout of Canada); Owen Corrigan, Troop #401, Sidney; William Neubauer, Troop #485, Skowhegan; Matthew Cote, Troop #401, Sidney; Matrim Glazier, Troop #436, Waterville; Timothy Martincic, Troop #433, Winslow; Ryan Pellerin, Troop #446, Albion; Dan Crouse, Troop #417, Wins­low/ Water­ville; Jacob Lennon, Troop #446, Albion.