SHS Boy Scout honors local veterans by repairing memorial
The Latham Kiwanis Park off Troy Schenectady Road is one of Billy Pipe’s favorite places. He comes to the park often for ceremonies and to enjoy some time outdoors. But he began to notice something: the Latham Honor Roll memorial
Damage to the eaves of the Latham Honor Roll before Billy started his Eagle Scout project.
honoring those from Latham who have served in various wars was in disrepair.
That’s when Billy decided to do something about it.
Billy is a junior at Shaker High School and a Life Scout in Troop 1701, Twin Rivers Council, Fort Orange District of the Boy Scouts of America. He wanted to fix the memorial as his Eagle Scout Project.
The Boy Scout motto is “Be prepared”, and it took two months of planning to get ready for the project. Many supplies were donated by local businesses, but Billy says he still spent an additional $250 on supplies.
The Scout slogan is “Do a good turn daily”, and it took Billy and 21 others, including 13 North Colonie students, two weekends of work to fix the memorial. All in all, Billy says they put in about 265 hours on the Honor Roll, or more than 11 total days worked. They repainted the Honor Roll, and repaired the eaves and trim.
Now that the project is complete, Billy can reminisce on a bench overlooking his work. “Once you’re an Eagle Scout, the project is a last hurrah,” Billy says. “It’s a way of really giving back to the community and helping others.” He says the local Kiwanis has been very enthusiastic about the project and supportive throughout the process.
More than anything, Billy says he wanted to give back to a community that gives a lot to Scouting, and to honor Latham’s history and veterans.
Another scout from Billy’s troop, Ethan Ostwald, is also working on an Eagle Scout project with the Honor Roll. He noticed that the memorial wasn’t current, and didn’t include names of Latham residents who served in more recent conflicts. He’s working to make sure they are honored properly as well.
Billy’s Eagle Scout Ceremony will take place in the coming months.
Category: Archive, District News, SHS
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