The Eagles' nest in Elizabeth will be expanding soon to make room for new fledglings. Ten members of Boy Scout Troop 47, which meets at the Elizabeth United Methodist Church, are in various stages of earning the coveted Eagle Scout status.
"Is this the most at any one time?" asked Doug Sellers, Scoutmaster of Troop 47 since December 1999. "Absolutely! Isn't it great?!"
It's unusual for one troop in a small rural community to have so many Scouts working on Eagle status at one time - only four percent of all Scouts ever achieve this hard-to-obtain rank.
Records for Troop 47, which was chartered in 1957 and now has 29 Scouts, list 15 Scouts who have become Eagles. David Barnes was the first in 1962. The second was Randy Hertle in 1973. There were two more in 1987 and 1990, one in 1993, one in 1996, two in 1999 and five in 2000.
These Eagles join an elite group that includes motion picture director Steven Spielberg, former CIA director Robert M. Gates, retired astronaut James A. Lovell Jr., and Indiana Gov. Frank L. O'Bannon.
A Scout must meet certain requirements before he can even apply to earn the rank of Eagle. He must attain the rank of Life Scout and remain active for at least six months; demonstrate that he lives by the principles of the Scout Oath and Law by submitting at least five references who are willing to provide a recommendation on the Scout's behalf; earn at least 21 merit badges, 12 of which are mandatory; serve a minimum of six months in a leadership position in their troop; plan, develop and provide leadership in a service project which must be approved by the Scoutmaster, troop committee and the council or district; provide a statement of ambitions and life purpose, plus a list of positions held in his religious institution, school, camp, community or other organizations, and include any honors and awards received.
All of this must be done before he turns 18.
"Having that (Eagle) rank can be very advantageous for a lot of reasons," Sellers said. "It shows possible employers that the young man has leadership qualities, has the ability to stick with something for a long period of time, and has a desire to achieve.
"Should the young man join the military, Eagle Scouts automatically get a pay grade increase," he noted. "It garners respect, admiration and a sense of pride."
Once the Scout has applied to become an Eagle, he gets an Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook. It becomes their "bible" until they've completed their project. It's used to plan, get all the necessary approvals, carry out, and then report on the finished project.
But that's not the end; after he completes his project, there are several more steps:
* The Scout needs to review his application and list references of people
who will speak for him, and prepare a statement about himself.
* The application must be completed, with assistance by the unit leader or
a unit advancement committeeperson.
* Signatures of the unit leader and unit committee chairman need to be
obtained, indicating their approval and recommendation.
* The application, along with a statement about the Scout and his project
workbook, must be submitted to the local council service center.
The entire package is reviewed and certified, and the references are contacted. After everything is verified, the chairman of the Eagle Scout board of review sets a review date for the Scout.
Selecting a project, which is designed to benefit the community rather than the Scouts, can be the most challenging aspect of achieving Eagle.
"I had great difficulty finding a project," said Jonathan Sellers of Laconia, whose father is the Scoutmaster.
Sellers' mother, Sandy, is the president of the South Harrison Seahawks Swim Team. She suggested constructing a much-needed storage building for the swim team.
Jonathan Sellers, 17, liked the idea, which is no surprise because he's a member of the team. He got approval from the Harrison County Parks Dept. to build the shed, which is being built near the pool at the South Harrison Park.
"I had to wait for the weather to clear up before I could start," said the senior at South Central Junior-Senior High School.
Work on the 10-by-12-foot shed is proceeding faster since Sellers was able to pour the concrete last month during Spring Break.
"I'm beginning to see the end in sight," he said.
Most of the funding for Sellers' project came from the Boone Township trustee.
Sellers, who may enter the military after he graduates, said raising money for Eagle Scout projects can be a challenge. "Sometimes it's tough getting people to understand that (the project) is for the community," he said.
Funding for Kenneth Balentine's project came from several sources, including his parents, Von and Virginia Balentine of Elizabeth, Curtis Balentine, Ron Owen, Doug Sellers and some businesses.
Balentine, 18, chose to create a "prayer garden" for Bethesda United Methodist Church near Elizabeth. He completed it last fall.
The 10-by-six-foot oval area was overgrown with brush before Balentine cleared it, tilled the soil, and planted small shrubs and perennials. He added a concrete angel and some benches, and made a walkway from the church to the garden.
He envisioned the prayer garden "as a place to come and relax and enhance the beauty of the church."
Approximately 171 hours were needed to complete the project. "My workers were some of the Scouts from Troop 47 and a few friends of mine that wanted to help," Balentine said. "There was also a professional mason who helped in the construction for the benches and the angel statue."
After he graduates this spring from South Central, Balentine hopes to pursue a teaching degree and eventually earn a doctorate. "I really think that being a high school math teacher is what I am meant to be," he said.
Balentine said that the officers for Bethesda UMC "deeply appreciated the work we did. They think it will be a good addition for the growing church facility."
Allen Klein, 14, also selected a project for Bethesda. A freshman at South Central, Klein plans to build a small playground. "I thought it would be a good thing to do," he said. The church has no playground now.
He hopes to finish it this summer. His project calls for swings and a slide made from wood.
Klein, the son of Louie and Carlan Gebhart of Elizabeth and Dennis Klein of Cleveland, is now raising money for his project which has been approved by the church. He estimates it will cost between $500 and $600. He's already raised about $200, mostly through selling pens that contain this message: "I helped fund an Eagle Scout for Troop 47."
The South Harrison Community Center in Elizabeth is another beneficiary of the Eagle Scout projects. David Baker, Nicholas Bishop, Jacob Cunningham and Christopher Woodbury are improving the former Elizabeth Grade School, built in 1936.
Baker, 16, is feeling the crunch to complete his project soon. He's renovating the stage, which will be used by the South Central Drama Club for an upcoming production.
Drama club sponsor Marty Cecil approached Baker with the idea. A sophomore at SCJSHS, Baker has been involved in drama and decided to tackle the project. His parents are Hal and Sherry Baker of Elizabeth.
Baker is replacing sections of the floor and removing many old items that have been left behind - folding chairs, coat racks, carpet, electric fans, slate chalkboards, an old scoreboard. He's also removing stucco from the brick columns on the sides of the stage and he's remodeling a side room that can be used as a dressing room for stage productions.
The entire building is being re-wired; part of the ceiling is being torn off.
Across the gym from the stage, Bishop, 14, has chipped away at the old paint on the walls. He's going to repaint the gym's interior.
Bishop, son of Eric and Denise Bishop of Elizabeth, said his mother, the president of the South Harrison Community Center, helped him select the project. "She's trying to restore it ... similar to the Gerdon Youth Center in Corydon," said the eighth grader who attends St. James Academy in Louisville. "I want kids to be able to go in there and play basketball. I'm trying to make it better for other kids."
Bishop said he's going to keep the old basketball goals, but they'll get new paint, rims and nets. "My mom wants it to be as original as it can," he said. He's trying to complete the project - calculated to cost $20,000 - "as soon as possible." The Sherwin-Williams Co. in Jeffersonville provided a large donation to Bishop's project. United Rental Aerial Equipment donated the use of a hydraulic lift that Roger McAleese of Elizabeth hauled to the site for Bishop to use.
Bishop's father, and grandfather, Roy Bishop, as well as workers from McCoy Painting, are volunteering a lot of hours to help paint. Other Scout members are also assisting, as they do with all Eagle Scout projects.
Woodbury, 15, and Cunningham, 14, haven't started the manual labor of their projects yet; they're still raising money.
Woodbury, whose parents are Ross and Sandy Woodbury of Elizabeth, is building a playground at the community center and replacing the old merry-go-round. "Someone else suggested it, but didn't do it," said the South Central freshman. "So I decided to do that for my project."
Woodbury said most of his fund-raising efforts are complete and he's waiting on final approval from the community center board.
He's also deciding on things like materials to use for the playground. "I do know that I want to use mulch (as the base) not pea gravel," he said.
"I'm extremely optimistic" that the project will be completed by early July, Woodbury said.
Cunningham's project is also outdoors at the center: he plans to build a basketball court, with a fence around it, lights and benches. "There used to be a court there, when the school was used," said Cunningham, son of Bruce and Julie Cunningham of Elizabeth. "The town is going to blacktop it."
Cunningham, also a freshman at South Central, is busy raising $6,000. He applied for a grant from a foundation but was denied. "I'll probably try for another grant," he said.
Debbie Trumbo, who's been on the South Harrison Community Center board since 1993, is thrilled with the Scouts' projects. "They are just awesome kids," she said. "They are doing some renovation work there that strongly needs to be done."
Trumbo hopes the projects will encourage others to clean up the old school. "This building belongs to the community," she said. She thinks it can also be used for things such as a sewing center, wedding receptions and parties.
"The kids are putting their hearts into it," said Trumbo, adding that she wished Walter Carter, another original board member, would have lived to see the finished work. Carter died Thursday, April 10.
Just down the road from the Community Center, at the Elizabeth four-way, will be Daniel Newman's project, once the weather cooperates. Newman, 18, plans a "small park" on the southwest corner of the intersection. "I want to make it look a little better," said Newman, a senior at South Central.
There will be two benches and a picnic table - which Newman has already made - and bushes and trees. "I had looked at doing a joint project with Jonathan, to help clean up the town ... but he was offered a chance to do the storage building," Newman said. "I decided to proceed with the cleaning up of the town.
"Coming up with the idea wasn't as hard as getting started," he said. The town donated a truckload of concrete for a ramp to make the park area handicap accessible.
The son of David and Debbie Newman of Elizabeth, Daniel has narrowed his options after graduation to three: join the Army, start college in the fall or run track in Australia.
"I'm very grateful to Mr. Sellers and Bobby Wagner," he said. "They've both stuck behind me to get an extension. I was kind of up a creek (turning 18 before completing his project). Now I have until May 30 to finish it."
The Scoutmaster said "it is very unusual for a Scout to receive an extension," which must come from the national office in Texas.
Ben Schreck shouldn't have to worry about any extensions. He could be the youngest member of Troop 47 to achieve Eagle, if all goes as planned.
Schreck, 13, is an eighth grader at South Central. "I'm going to try to complete it by my 14th birthday," he said. His parents are Paul and Debbie Schreck of Laconia.
"Age 14 is about the youngest that a boy can earn his Eagle rank," Scoutmaster Sellers said. "A lot of the decision has to do with maturity and responsibility as well.
"If a boy really hustled and got all 21 required merit badges, too, he could conceivably receive his Eagle at 13. That rarely happens because of other things."
Schreck opted to restore the stable used for the Elizabeth UMC's live nativity scene. "The whole building, it's falling apart," Schreck said. "I'm going to do it in cedar." The church board, which has approved the project, wants it to be collapsible. "I hope to finish it in the summer," he said.
A chili cook-off is being planned for his fund-raiser.
Still in the approval stage is James Crosier's project, the Dunkard Cemetery, off Rogers Campground Road, south of Elizabeth. He estimates there are about 30 graves there. "Figuring out what I was going to do was difficult," said the 14-year-old eighth grader at South Central. "I had no idea what I was going to do."
His grandmother, Mary Crosier of Laconia, suggested restoring the cemetery. She's president of the cemetery association.
"There are no markers to tell what's there," James Crosier said. "And there's an older cemetery in the woods; I'm going to clear a trail to it."
Crosier, son of Jerry and Terry Crosier of Laconia, will install a bench near the cemetery. He estimates the project, which he hopes to have done by mid-summer, will cost about $400.
Anyone who wants to provide financial assistance for any of these projects can send contributions to Douglas Sellers, Troop 47, 10815 Old Dam 43 Road SE, Laconia, IN 47135.
Eagle Scouts are eligible to become members of the National Eagle Scout Association (NESA). As a member in good standing, they receive the "Eagletter" magazine and are made aware of opportunities for service with their troops, district, council and NESA committees at Scouting functions. They also are invited to a special gathering at the national jamboree and can network with other Eagle Scouts.
"It is always special when a boy receives his Eagle Scout rank," Doug Sellers said. "They are all great boys and I am proud of each of them. They all have different attributes that make them special. Most of these guys I have had since the first grade and Tiger Cubs. I've watched them grow up into young men."
Four of the Scouts - Baker, Balentine, Newman and Jonathan Sellers - will have their Court of Order together. Balentine, who completed his project late last year, is waiting for the other three to finish their projects. Scoutmaster Sellers said the Court of Honor is tentatively set for May 31 at Elizabeth UMC. Additional Courts of Honor will be held as the other six Scouts complete their projects.
Sellers said he wouldn't have gotten involved in Scouting if his children hadn't been interested. "It was a way to stay active in their lives and it just kind of ballooned," he said. "I also have to give credit where credit is due. If it weren't for the dedicated group of parents who believe that what we are doing is a good thing, we wouldn't have the kids we do.
"I have been very lucky to have the parents of most of the boys ... help me in so many ways. Parental involvement is the single most important thing in a young person's life."
Sellers said, "I doubt we will ever have this many boys working toward
Eagle at one time ever again, but we will certainly keep trying."