There was a song on the airwaves this summer that asked people to look around and make a difference because you “don’t hide in the dark, you were born to shine.” So many people, both young and old, miss their chance to shine. They miss the opportunity to make a difference.
Over the years of writing this column I have mentioned the Scout Troop that my sons are involved in here in Brunswick. For many Troops in Maine, the last seven months have been difficult. Being engaged and making a difference has not been easy, but for eight young men in Brunswick, Topsham and West Bath the last year has been one of trial and sacrifice, achievement and success. Along the way, they have made a difference for many in their community.
These eight young men have or will shortly attain the final rank in their Scouting career, the Eagle Rank. To get there, these Scouts have had to plan a project that would benefit a group or organization within the surrounding communities. While the planning for their projects took some time to coordinate, the path that allowed these Scouts to arrive at the Eagle’s doorstep was long.
When I spoke with a number of parents of these young men I heard some of the same themes. The effort that was put into the work. The ability to see a project through to completion. How mature their Scout had become in just a few short years.
Suzanne Andresen, whose son Tyler earned his Eagle rank late last year, spoke of the growth that she saw over the last dozen years. She said, “It has been an amazing experience watching the Scouts maneuver their way through this.” Tyler decided to make a difference at an organization that he has come to know quite well. He constructed and installed portable garden beds for the residents at Avita, a memory care facility in town where his grandmother lives. These beds have given the residents a chance to do something that is familiar. Something that is a passion.
Another young man who just recently earned his Eagle rank is Tucker Gagnon. Tucker is a frequent user of a park in Freeport called Florida Lake. Having recognized that the local beaver population caused the walkways and a small earthen bridge to flood on occasion, Tucker dedicated himself to fix the problem. Tucker and a group of Scouts installed a beaver deceiver. Using metal gates and a great deal of hard work they managed to stop the beavers from causing a dam without having to harm the beavers.
Tim and Melissa Gagnon, Tucker’s parents, spoke of the effort that their son put into his project. “He learned from the project the process of completing something from start to finish. He learned to present ideas. He learned to give back to his community.”
Another Scout, Christian Stewart, also used a similar method to save an earthen bank near a West Bath pond. Christian was the project manager on an effort to clean out a series of culverts and install a protective barrier in front of them to stop erosion. His mother, Suzann Stewart, spoke of her pride in watching how he tackled a number of issues that came with his project and succeeded in getting the project done even during the pandemic.
There have been other Scouts who looked for a way to make a difference and found a way to do it. Mathew Krutul created a series of benches at a local school to allow children and staff to have a safe place to sit on their playground. This enhanced the use of the playground and is a welcoming place for all students now.
Ryan Giles recognized that he could make a difference by fulfilling a promise made by his class at St. John’s School to install a flagpole when their new building was completed. Ryan worked with contractors and Scouts to install a flag pole at the St. John’s Community Building.
Jeff Remis, a Scout from Topsham, sought out donations of shoes for a national organization that provides footwear and opportunities to underserved parts of our population. Jeff ended up gathering hundreds of pair of shoes and then had to work through the logistics of getting the footwear from Maine to New Jersey to one of the company’s locations. Today there are people who have shoes on their feet thanks to Jeff.
Two more Scouts have spent months planning, preparing locations and recruiting fellow Scouts for their projects that will be installed this weekend. Nick Homan is creating an information kiosk for use by the West Bath Cemetery Committee. My own son, Thomas Crimmins, is constructing an outdoor classroom to be used by his school, the Harpswell Coastal Academy. Thomas had no idea that when he began to plan for the classroom last winter that such a space would be needed because of the pandemic, but additional classroom space is now very necessary.
These young men, these dedicated Scouts, all saw an opportunity to make a difference. They saw their chance and they went for it. They and the many others who look to shine are what is right in this world right now. If we want people to make a difference, to matter, we could do well to admire the difference that these young men have made and will continue to make in the years to come.
Jonathan Crimmins can be reached at j_crimmins@hotmail.com
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