Eagle Scout Project

Not Delaney's, though I had a glimpse of what might be coming. This morning Delaney and I got up early and headed out to the house of an Eagle candidate in his troop. He's requested help in getting his project done, which was building a series of benches for a local school.

We got there, along with 4 or 5 other parents and about 10 boys. I had planned to drop off Delaney and then head to baseball practice this morning, but when I woke up Delaney he asked if I'd be staying. I told him my plan and he was a little upset. I think he was nervous about being alone there, not knowing too many boys (he ended up knowing only one) and so I agreed to stay with him. By the time I knew he was comfortable, with the wind and likely rain, I decided to skip practice and just stay with him.

It worked out well. I watched the boys try to work, helped the other dad organize them and keep them focused. Apparently the scouts aren't allowed to use power tools, so we had to do the cutting and drilling to put the benches together. They benches were think, like 4 or 5" thick tops and bases, and when we got to a point where the circular saw wouldn't cut through, the other Dad wanted to chain saw through. He did one, but I'm glad I convinced him to stop and let the boys use hand saw to get through the last 2" or so. They worked hard and did well.

We got one bench together, mostly stained, and the second one almost complete when we had to leave to come home. It was good work, no complaints from Delaney, and I think it showed both of us there's nothing to be afraid of with this project down the road.