Murrysville Scout troop produces 3 Eagle Scouts in 3 weeks
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Scouts from Troop 208 in Murrysville are earning their wings at a brisk pace this fall.
Over three weeks in October, three members of Troop 208 earned their Eagle Scout badges following the completion of their Eagle projects, adding function to Murrysville Community Park and the nearby Scouting Knob, and honoring some of Murrysville’s military veterans.
“It’s what you’re working toward your whole Scouting career,” said Ian Sunny, 17, whose project involved cleaning military headstones at Murrysville Cemetery next to First Presbyterian Church on North Hills Road. “When it comes time to do your Eagle project, those years of Scouting have you prepared and ready.”
Sunny’s work crew used a commercial cleaner called D/2 Biological Solution, the same cleaner used on headstones at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
“It’s environmentally safe, and it doesn’t have any bleach so it’s safe for local wildlife, as well,” Sunny said.
T.J. Schreck, 18, supervised a work crew that built a hammock pavilion at the Scouting Knob off Bollinger Road.
“It was more of a conservation project,” Schreck said. “A lot of Scouts had started bringing their hammocks, either to sleep in overnight or just to relax when we’d go on camping trips. We didn’t want to damage the trees for any of the wildlife when we were up at the Scouting Knob.”
The roofed pavilion features 6-inch-by-6-inch posts sunk into the ground in a “U” configuration, with enough heavy-duty eye bolts in the posts to hang nine hammocks.
“The roof is the best part,” said Scout Trevor McLeigh, 17, who fulfilled one of Murrysville’s “wish list” items for Murrysville Community Park when his crew built a roofed picnic table near the MCP splash pad.
Last March, municipal officials considered offering the public naming rights to help offset the cost of park improvements like the picnic tables. But those types of smaller projects were also placed on a list for aspiring Eagle Scouts to consider.
In fact, the municipality’s involvement required McLeigh to change his plans halfway through construction.
“They approved the initial plans, but then when they came out to look at them, they said the roof would need to be higher,” he said. “Luckily, they were able to help us out in raising it about another 8 inches.”
In spite of the minor setback, McLeigh said he truly enjoyed planning and managing things.
“By the time you get to it, it’s much more of a fun thing than a project you have to worry about getting done,” he said.
Schreck agreed.
“They really try to motivate you and get you ready the whole time you’re in Scouts, and you don’t even realize it.”