q3pointshooter
Registered: November 2012
City/Town/Province: Tempe
Posts: 1
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Hello World! My name is Quintin and I can proudly say I am an Eagle Scout! I was motivated to organize a large-scale volunteer project in order to obtain my Eagle Scout rank and give back time and effort which my community was deserving of. Volunteering is a pillar of Scouting and is highly encouraged; help those who are less fortunate then yourself. After thorough planning and execution, I believe my project was a complete success. We were able to transform an overgrown area that was nonfunctional into a functional canal. I recruited volunteers from within my Boy Scout Crew and extended an invitation to friends and family to preserve Mother Earth. My project benefited the City of Tempe and will continue to do so for years to come because it will provide excess water storage as well as run-off area. Along with this, the lake's water will be more "free-flowing" and therefore maintain its longevity. Those who exercise throughout the park will have a beautiful scenic area to pass as they are making their way through Evelyn Hallman Park. Without shortage of water, fishing will improve for fishermen. Finally, the renovation of the northern canal at Evelyn Hallman Park was a necessary maintenance project and I was extremely satisfied that I was able to lead a project with such long-term impact. A problem that occurred during my project was the method of storage of the removed branches and shrubbery from the area. We put the excess growth into two large roll-off dumpsters. Without proper thinking, we threw the large branches into the dumpsters which caused a loss of room. Slowly but surely, we lost vital room to discard the growth as the branches maintained their shape and built on top of each other. In order to fix this problem, I should have assigned a City of Tempe employee with a chainsaw to cut the large branches. This would have allowed the branches and shrubbery to stack on top of each other and provide more adequate space to store more. I showed leadership throughout my entire eagle project. In the planning of the project, I coordinated with numerous individuals for donations and support. I was able to gain donations from Einstein Bagels, Papa Johns, and Sonic (water). Edith Ross, the director of volunteer projects in the City of Tempe, was able to help me plan and carry out my project. I met with her numerous times and she helped me gain the confidence I needed to be a leader in my project. Throughout the execution of my project, I was working with my volunteers and directing them on what and what not to do. If they had any questions to be answered, I was happy to answer them. I carefully watched over everyone to prevent any injury and for immediate response in case any accident may happen. We had many CPR-certified individuals on scene (including myself) and a first-aid kit in order to treat any problems. By maintaining a leader-like attitude and prowess, my volunteers were able to work efficiently, my project was able to be completed, and the community has improved. The most memorable part of my project, and perhaps the most challenging, was when my grandfather hard-headedly continued to cut away branches and growth past a proper length. Once he sets his mind to something, it is hard to stop him. I had to be the leader and tell my grandfather to stop what he was doing. Not only was this in good nature for the growth, but also for his physical level. Dehydration is always a serious issue in Arizona and anything done to prevent it is a good thing. I cleared only a small portion of the canal; many feet remain to be cleared. I strongly believe my project encouraged future generations to lend a hand and volunteer. Anyone can organize and lead a community service project like mine; all it takes is effort and determination. After completing the project, I gathered the volunteers and we took a group picture. This single moment gave me blistering satisfaction that I had brought together an amazing group of people to make our community a better place. If anyone asked me, “Why volunteer my time?” I would respond, “the community has provided you with the life you have now; preservation is key to your future and you are the key to preservation.”
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