Boy Scout earns his Eagle award

A Green River Boy Scout recently obtained the highest Boy Scout honor after carrying out his bat house project.

For Boy Scout Troop 78 member Nathan Nelson, trying to help the community while completing a project for his Eagle Scout honor was something he just had to do.

Nelson joined the Cub Scouts when he was 8. He then continued to advance in the program and moved onto the Boy Scouts and obtaining 22 merits badges.

Not only did Nelson obtain badges, but he advanced his skills by attending Boy Scout camps, serving in leadership positions like team captain and assistant senior patrol leader, finishing the 50-mile Bike the Bear event and coordinating a successful Eagle Scout Project. He also earned the On My Honor religious emblem for Scouting in 2016, as well as received Duty to God recognition in 2015 and 2017.

"My favorite part of scouting is the people I get to spend time with," Nelson said. "I am part of an awesome and very active troop that has great leaders who really care about us and are willing to spend time teaching and working with us."

Nelson wanted to continue his path and go for the Eagle Scout award, which not many Scouts do. Nelson wasn't sure what he wanted to do for a project, but he knew the city always had projects that needed to be done.

"I spoke with Doug Stewart from the city of Green River Parks and Recreation Department about several projects that would benefit Green River," Nelson said. "He was great to work with and said the city needed several new bat houses built to replace some of the older ones that were in need of repair."

Nelson decided he would help the community by making and installing the bat houses.

"This project helps all of Green River because bats help control the mosquito population," he said. "Bats can eat several thousand mosquitoes in a day."

Nelson led his troop in building, painting and installing 12 bat houses along the Greenbelt pathway and Scotts Bottom Trail. The bat houses can easily be seen because they are painted black with the Batman logo on them. After the houses were installed, Nelson started to receive comments.

"People recognize the bat houses when they are out on the Greenbelt and have commented that they love the Batman symbol that we stenciled on them," he said. "Several people have told me that they have seen bats flying near and around the bat houses at dusk. I've also had a few people ask for the building plan I used so that they can make one for their own yard."

Even though the main part of the project was to help the community, it might be what Nelson learned from it that he will remember the most.

"I learned that I can do hard things and that it can be very challenging to lead a big group. It takes a lot of time to organize and carry out a project well," Nelson said. "It was rewarding to see everyone working together to get the project done. It was great to see the finished project and how well the bat houses turned out."

The ceremony

Nelson was accompanied by his mother and father Michael and Debra of Green River, to the Eagle Scout special court of honor, which took place Oct. 13 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 5th Ward building. Scout leader Lynn Eskelson conducted the Eagle Scout Court of Honor, which included flag ceremonies, prayers and patriotic music.

After many spoke fondly of Nelson, Eskelson presented the award, badge and neckerchief to Nelson, while his parents received pins. Nelson then had a chance to speak and he thanked Mark Westenskow for all of his help by giving him an Eagle Scout mentor pin.

Nelson is hoping all of his hard work will help with his future.

"Eagle Scouts are many things, including trustworthy, helpful, hardworking and determined," he said. "I hope that people will see these traits in me and recognize them as part of my personality and work ethic."

When Nelson isn't busy with Boy Scouts, he in active in his church and other organizations. He participated in a 20-mile pioneer handcart trek in Wyoming last year and several High Adventure camps. He's active in the Priest Quorum of his ward, works at the city of Green River GRASP program, is involved with service and enjoys playing basketball, watching sports and reading. He is a member of the National Honor Society and maintains a 4.0 GPA and is a senior at Green River High School.