Grandson's Eagle Project

Grandson Daniel did his Eagle project recently with lots of help from his church congregation. 29 people showed up on a gloriously sunny Saturday morning to help with the trails project at Larsen Lake Blueberry Farms, a Bellevue park. We spread mulch on trails and gravel and mulch on some low places in the trail. 

Ready to go

Reddish bushes are blueberries

The group tackled a HUGE pile of mulch that was full of steam and dust. 

Raking the mulch

Gravel was spread on low, wet spots and mulch put over the gravel.

Michael, Daniel & Joe

Daniel worked with a contact in Bellevue Parks to get everything 

organized and ready for Saturday morning. 

Part of the finished project - 

with walkers on the freshly mulched trail already. 

Blueberries bushes line both sides of the trail. 

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The parks representative mentioned several times how impressed he was with the number of people and the speed and quality of the work – and how everyone worked together so well. He said he oversees a lot of volunteer projects and he’s never seen one go this well and so quickly. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do so many service projects that they tend to know how to self organize and get the work done well and quickly. Michael said there’s a core of people in the ward, many of them empty nesters, who consistently show up to help with Eagle and other service projects.  

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Michael commented that Daniel’s Eagle will be the fourth generation in our family. Scouting started in the early 1900s in this country. I don’t think my grandfather, Caryl Holton, would have had a chance to be a Scout or earn an Eagle in tiny Sidell, Illinois. He would have been almost too old even if Scouting did reach Sidell. So Dad, William Holton, was the first generation of Holtons that could have earned an Eagle. Dad earned an Eagle as did my brother Tom, and then Michel earned his Eagle. Now Daniel will join the convocation (term for a group of Eagles, had to add that in memory of Dad) – after he completes his report and has the Court of Honor. Another grandson is on track to receive his Eagle after he completes his project. My brother's son also earned an Eagle.