NRHEG Eagle Scouts are dual graduates

Along with graduating from high school this year, NRHEG seniors Jordan Brouwers, Wyatt Larson and Devon Nelton could be said to have also “graduated” from scouting: all three capped off their 12-year participation in Scouting America by becoming Eagle Scouts.

 

All three state they are grateful to have taken part in the camps, outings, troop meetings and activities that brought them new skills and allowed them to create friendships.

 

Said Larson, “Scouting’s a bit more than the troops. It’s a set of values that centers around helping the community while also growing as a person.”

 

Some special memories include going to Scouting America camps,  including one at Tomahawk, Wisc., and another at Lewis and Clark, S. Dakota. Along with a lot of individual and shared experiences, the three name water safety, emergency preparedness, search and rescue and first aid as some of the topics they covered.

 

The three explain membership in scouting automatically ends when participants reach the age of 18. Before they go, if they take the initiative, they can earn the title of “Eagle” by completing an independent project with an array of expectations. For one, it must be meant to provide lasting good for some component of the community. Completing the project is also meant to be a demonstration of the leadership, communication, and cooperation skills learned by being a scout.

 

Thus, Eagle candidates may not spend any of their own money: instead they are expected to connect with businesses and individuals likely to support the project to request donations of money or materials. They are also meant to recruit volunteers willing to help with large-scale tasks.

 

Brouwers built “agility jumps” to be used by Freeborn County 4-H dog training programs. Each jump consists of two stands with stops where a pvc pipe cross piece can be placed to create obstacles of different heights to adjust for the differing sizes of dogs.

 

As a long-time participant in dog training, Brouwers saw the need because, he says, the stands in use for the past 30 years or so were showing their age, sometimes causing delays or disruptions by failing during practices or events.

 

Home Depot and Ace Hardware of Albert Lea, Viracon of Owatonna, and 4-H dog program supporter Amy Wadding donated supplies including wood, screws, and paint. Larson and Nelton both helped with the construction.

 

Seeing the stands in use during dog program practices, says Brouwers, gives him a sense of accomplishment. “I’m glad I could help make things better,” he says of practices and events.

 

As summarized in a Star Eagle article earlier this year, Wyatt Larson organized the construction of a “gaga ball” pit on the NRHEG school playground in New Richland. 

 

Significant donations for the project included funds from Finley’s Wings at Work, Keen Bank, and the landscaping company Minnesota Roots out of Elk River. Donated supplies included lumber from Home Depot in Albert Lea; rubber mulch from Lowe’s; landscaping and leveling from Sequoia Landscape of Ellendale; and concrete rebar from Olson Masonry of Ellendale. Workers who donated their time to assemble the pit included Larson and his parents Shawn and Jody along with fellow scout Devon Nelton. 

 

Larson said he chose the project because he remembers gaga ball as a game he and friends enjoyed throughout their childhood, including at scouting camps. Because of that, he commented, “I want it to be there for other people to enjoy.”  

 

Nelton’s project is a free-standing structure which serves as a miniature exchange library. The small, house-shaped cabinet is located on the lawn of the Albert Lea Historical Society, which sponsored the project. From what he has seen since installing the cabinet, he says it gets regular use. He is glad to see the historical society and area readers are able to benefit from his efforts.