The young men of Boy Scout Troop 46 didn’t let a little thing like Fall Break stop them from making a difference as they gathered at the corner of Highway 15 and Broad Street in Decatur Thursday to erect a flag pole to honor local veterans.
Armed with shovels, post hole diggers and an auger, the dozen or so boys created a prominent flag display, complete with a flower bed and outdoor lighting.
Fourteen-year-old Tyler Ray was the brainchild for Thursday’s project, which was designed to fulfill the service project requirement he needed to earn his Eagle Scout rank. Ray, who has been a member of Troop 46 since first grade, said his father is an active service member in the military, which gives the project a special meaning to him.
“People who are driving by can come out hear and look at the flag,” he said. “And, it’s not just for them. It’s for the people who sacrificed their lives overseas for the freedom we have today.”
Olan Thomas, scoutmaster for Troop 46, said Ray’s project is exactly what the Boy Scouts look for from their Eagle Scout candidates.
“Every boy that earns Eagle has to do a project, and what we look for in an Eagle Project, what the board looks for before they approve it is it has to be something beneficial and lasting for those in need,” he said. “This is a good project.”
When a scout comes up with their Eagle Project, they have to do all the work, Thomas explained. Ray, he said, had to acquire the materials, get permission from the town and organize the work day.
“He’s come up with the idea, and he pitched it to Woodmen of the World. They’re donating the flag,” he said. “He has to has to handle all of this, organize it all, so he’s gotten everything donated down to the little plants to go around the flower bed to the flag pole.”
Ray’s troop, Thomas said, agreed to support him by providing enthusiastic, though untrained labor for the project.
“As you can see, some of these guys haven’t used post-hole diggers very much,” he said with a smile, gesturing to a few boy scouts attempting gouge a trench with the unfamiliar tools. “They aren’t used to manual labor, but they’re getting there.”
With the completion of his project, Ray hopes to have his application approved and Eagle Scout status awarded shortly. However, he said the flag is more than a means to Eagle Scout; it’s a place to remember the sacrifices made by others in the name of freedom.
“It’s not just for myself, but for the community,” he said.
Ray said he invites everyone, residents and visitors alike, to stop by the flag to take a picture or to remember a friend or family member who served in the military.
