Happy Friday! Scout builds a bridge, plus other good news from this week

Photo by Mark Duncan

Building bridges

An Eagle Scout candidate from the oldest Scouts BSA troop in Washington, D.C., has installed a bridge over a small waterway in a popular park.

“As regular park visitors know, the old log footbridge was uneven, deteriorating, and slowly sinking. Eventually, it would have blocked water flow from the spring-fed valley stream. The new bridge is a welcome and a considerable trail improvement for Linnean Park and will serve the Forest Hills community for many years to come.”

This story gives a great play-by-play of the Scout’s efforts.

Conducting themselves like Lincoln

The West Coast’s version of the Lincoln Pilgrimage is back. After being canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the California Inland Empire Council event returns next week.

“The pilgrimage encourages youth to dedicate themselves to the principles and virtues held by President Abraham Lincoln and our Founding Fathers.”

Click here to read more.

(It’s worth noting that Abraham Lincoln Council in Illinois hosts its own Lincoln Pilgrimage.)

Restoring a cemetery

A Kansas Eagle Scout candidate has led an inspiring project that resulted in the restoration of a largely neglected cemetery in his community. The football field-sized site is the burial ground for many Civil War veterans and an important part of the town’s history.

“The small plot of land, officially known as the Evan H. Young Cemetery — others call it the Daniel Deal Cemetery, in honor of one of the Civil War soldiers buried there — is familiar to local history buffs, but not many others.”

Click here for more details.

Installing new picnic tables

Scouts BSA members from Fort Bragg, N.C., installed new wooden picnic tables in support of the community’s oldest standing structure, a Presbyterian church built in 1847. Members of the church use the picnic area for an annual service in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.

“Answering recent requests from descendants of the original congregation, new tables were needed to replace the older wooden tables, which had collapsed after many years of picnics.”

Learn how the Scouts answered the call by reading this story.

Helping animals

A Tennessee troop spent a recent Saturday volunteering at a local animal shelter.

“The troop spent the day making enrichment items for the animals in our care, including stuffed KONGS, lick mats, frozen pup-sicles, and cat nip toys. These enrichment items are essential for keeping the animals from getting bored in their kennels.”

Click here to read more.

Restoring headstones

And, finally, watch this local news report from New Port Richey, Fla., that details a Scouts BSA troop’s efforts to restore the headstones at a veterans’ cemetery.


About Aaron Derr 429 Articles
Aaron Derr is the senior editor of Scout Life and Scouting magazines, and also a former Cubmaster and Scouts BSA volunteer.