When it came to doing his Eagle Scout project, Logan Wadsworth chose something that combined a way to serve the community with one of his favorite activities.
Logan loves camping with his fellow scouts, so after the Boy Scouts worked with the county commissioners to be able to camp overnight at Pioneer Trails Picnic Grounds, Logan wanted to do something that would both complete their camping experience and benefit the community as a whole for years to come.
"I thought of putting a couple fire pits out there so that we could have fires while we were camping, because that's always fun," Logan explained.
Two weekends ago, Logan's idea became reality as he, with the help of others, built two brand new fire pits at Pioneer Trails.
But it took a lot of work to get to that point.
The process
After six years of being involved in scouting with the Boy Scouts of America local Troop 312, Logan has risen through the ranks of Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, and finally Eagle. He's worked to earn merit badges, complete service hours, and serve in leadership positions.
Through everything, Logan has been grateful for the opportunities he's had as part of Troop 312.
"It's really hard to get all the merit badges," he explained. "Usually you have to go to camps and stuff, and some troops can't afford to go to the bigger camps like our troop can. And we went to quite a few of the big camps, which allowed me to get a lot of my Eagle-required merit badges faster. I think I had all my Eagle-required merit badges by the time I was 14 or 15."
Finally, the now almost-17-year-old Logan came to his Eagle Scout project.
"The project is something that will benefit the community," Daryl Wadsworth, one of the leaders of Troop 312, explained of the Eagle Scout project requirements. "And then he has to plan it out and go step by step."
After coming up with the idea of building fire pits, Logan had to figure out how to make it a reality. He took multiple trips out to Pioneer Trails to see what could be done. The only options for fires at the picnic grounds were in fireplaces designed for cooking or grilling, not pits made for campfires that people can sit around. Initially Logan thought about doing multiple small fire pits, but after more consideration and planning, he settled on the idea of two larger pits.
Logan talked to County Public Works Director Gene Legerski and Commissioner Island Richards about his project, then put together a presentation which he brought before the Board of County Commissioners during the August 1 meeting. He outlined all the plans he had worked through, from how to build the pits to the best locations at the picnic grounds to the cost of all the materials needed.
The commissioners voted unanimously to give Logan approval to build both fire pits and for the county to provide the funding for it.
"I think it would be a great asset to us at our park," Commissioner Robb Slaughter said.
The project
With the approval of the commissioners, Logan was able to get to work.
The decision was made to put one pit in Loop B at the picnic grounds and the other close to the main pavilion. Logan explained to the commissioners that some old playgrounds and park equipment in those areas needed to be taken out due to health risks and safety hazards, so he and Gene Legerski decided those spaces would be perfect for the new fire pits.
The fire pit design Logan settled on involved making a ring of bricks with gravel and a metal liner inside, as well as a drain pipe to get rid of any water that gets inside the pits due to weather.
The cost for both fire pits came out to $1,477 in total, with $578 going toward the bricks, $172 worth of landscaping glue, about $290 covering the metal bottom and sides, $108 covering six tons of gravel, and $230 required for the gravel delivery.
The materials for the fire pits came from Home Depot, Pacific Steel Recycling, and Sunroc.
"We used all local businesses," Daryl pointed out.
Once the materials were ready, the actual building began. Most of the work was done August 18, with things finished up Saturday morning, August 19. Thankfully, Logan didn't have to do everything himself.
"We had a pretty good turnout to help us," Daryl said.
"The county guys were a lot of help," Logan explained.
Workers from the county pitched in on the project, including bringing in a very useful backhoe that saved the Scouts from trying to shovel 12 cubic yards of rock on their own. The Scouts helped level the ground, laid the bricks and glued them together, helped even out the gravel as it was poured into the pits, and put the metal liners inside.
From start to finish, Logan participated in and oversaw every step of the project.
"Out there, he has to be the leader, even over the adults, to tell the adults what needs to be done," Daryl said.
Logan admitted this level of authority was "kind of weird," and parts of the entire process were nerve-wracking, but he also got to see things come together and fall into line.
After all the work, Logan was tired, but the fire pits were ready to go.
The profit/personal benefits
For Logan, completing his Eagle Scout project was a culmination of many of the skills he's gained through scouting. From learning how to be a leader to developing a love for camping and cooking, Logan has always been learning. He doesn't plan to stop, either, as he pursues the Vigil Honor, the highest recognition for BSA Order of the Arrow members.
For Daryl, watching Logan rise through the ranks and complete so many projects, the biggest way he's seen the Eagle Scout excel is in his determination.
"When he first started he had some setbacks, but he didn't let them bother him," Daryl explained. "He kept striving for his goal. And now he's reached it. He's doing really good. . . He's shown really good skills in leadership."
As Logan continues to be a leader, he sets an example for the younger scouts in his troop. And as the scouts continue learning and growing, they will keep finding ways to connect with and serve the community.
"We try to stay really active in the community, do a lot of community service," Daryl explained.
"If the troop doesn't have a good standing with the community, then you're not going to get a lot of members in the first place," Logan pointed out. "But then also having good community relations, it allows us to get access to certain things."
Logan explained that already having positive connections with city and county leaders allows the troop to have access to opportunities that other troops might struggle to get. From being in parades to doing flag ceremonies to serving pancakes at Spaceport Days to helping complete Eagle Scout projects, the troop members work to help each other and work to help everyone else.
"We've helped with a lot of things over the years," Logan said.
When it comes to the new fire pits, Logan hopes his own troop will be able to put them to good use soon, but he's also excited to know that others will be able to use them because, as he said, they're "going to be around for a really long time."
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