Eagle Scout

Matt... Eagle Scout!

(updated Sun. Sep. 30, 2019)

We love our son, Matt, and are very proud of him for many reasons - he’s a fine young man with good manners, he is quite smart and has common sense, is a good friend and a great brother and son.

And now we’re also proud of him because he is an Eagle Scout!

(yes, we’re equally proud of our daughter, Abby)

Matt joined Cub Scouts in first grade, had many great experiences there, and then crossed over to become a Boy Scout in 5th grade.

He quickly earned his way through Scout, Tenderfoot, First Class, Second Class, Star, and Life.

Then, he proceeded to earn Eagle Scout.

His first plan for his Eagle Scout project was to build a dog park as part of a new subdivision.  He attended a City Council meeting and spoke with the developer, but they passed on that opportunity.

Matt soon decided to create a lending library, a borrow-a-book house, where people take books and read them and return them.

Soon after, a couple moms in the parish realized that the book house could help them with their efforts to get books to more kids... books that highlight various virtues, to help readers want to grow in those virtues.

Soon, the F.A.V.E. / Faith And Virtues for Everyone Book House was created!

We were in Boy Scouts for a couple years before we learned more about Eagle Scout projects.  Many people think that the projects are performed by the Scout.  In reality, they are planned by the Scout, and the Scout leads others to do the work. 

This is a demonstration of the EDGE Method...

E - Explain

D - Demonstrate

G - Guide

E - Enable

You’re an expert when you can show someone else how to do something.

So, Matt guided several Scouts and a few adults to build the F.A.V.E. Book House.  Work started in earnest just before Christmas, 2018, proceeded quickly through early January, then halted a bit, and finished in March and April.  The Book House was installed fully Holy Saturday, 2019, and dedicated before Divine Mercy Sunday Mass the following weekend.

The St. Louis Archdiocese published a story about the F.A.V.E. Book House in its weekly St. Louis Review newspaper.

The link to that article is: 

https://www.archstl.org/fave-book-house-project-places-virtuebased-books-in-childrens-hands-3954

Lowe’s was a big help - they provide discounts on materials for Eagle Scout projects.

Help from fellow Scouts to get the materials

Joint planning... measure twice, cut once (over 18)

Given the book houses’ size, it was built with an internal frame of 2x2s

Three coats of paint

Outer boards were screwed into the 2x2 frames

The slanted roof was attached to boards that were themselves attached with angle braces; then gaps were sealed tight.

We needed several attempts to hang the doors so they would swing open properly.

Dad’s an Eagle Scout himself (me only through Bear), and he helped with digging the post holes and getting them in the concrete.

A few screws per board to attach the Book House box and it was together

Then some paver stones and sod and then plaques

The dedication ceremony on Divine Mercy Sunday... thank you, Deacon Andrew (now a priest!).

thank you Mrs. Adolphson and Mrs. Gilmore, for providing the faith-based books!

And our dog, Backes, visited a couple nights, later. 

Lord,

May all who read the books from the F.A.V.E. Book House be blessed with your virtues, making the world a better place.

Amen!