Bhavjeet Sanghera, Eagle Scout
Total Volunteer Hours Worked: 247
My eagle project was to repair and restore campsites at the Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA). There were seven campsites in need of significant repair. The majority of these campsites, along with the trail surrounding them, had fallen trees, branches, debris, and unusable fire pits which had rendered them unsuitable for use. Through this project, seven campsites were restored so that they could once again be used by the public.
Majority of the campsites had unusable fire pits.
The project was successful in bringing together thirty scouts and parents to clean and repair their assigned campsites at the IWLA. As soon as I sent out the SignUpGenius for the project, within two days the desired number of volunteers was met. In signing up, parents committed to bringing several yard tools that were essential to this project. As I sent out communications to the volunteers, I reiterated the importance of safety to this project due to COVID-19 which was followed well during the project. The night before the project, I held a pre-project meeting where I explained to registered all scouts/parents what an ideal campsite looks like, how they could effectively accomplish the tasks to have a clean, usable campsite, logistics for the day of the project, as well as what they were expected to bring.
By having the pre-project meeting, everyone was on the same page for the day of the project.
On the day of the project, groups were punctual and the project got started on schedule. I held a safety and project briefing where I reiterated the importance of wearing masks and social distancing as well as reminded everyone of the tasks to be done for their site. As each group was brought to their site, I handed them a rubric which contained a list of tasks for their site. This was helpful in reminding them of the tasks to be done for each site. Once groups had been assigned their sites, they went right to work and were able to comfortably execute the tasks needed to make each site usable. As groups had questions, I was able to provide precise answers and guide them through repairing their site. Groups had no issues in removing and bagging brush, repairing the fire pits, clearing fallen branches and debris, as well as clearing the trail.
Most importantly, this project was successful in adhering to COVID-19 related precautions and ensuring that every scout and parent was safe. Through constant reiteration of the safety guidelines both scouts and parents understood the need to be careful. In the end, every site had fulfilled the criteria for being usable and the project was successful in accomplishing the task I set out to complete while the scouts and parents in attendance felt proud of their completed site.
Challenges and Observations
While everyone came to the sites fully prepared to repair their designated site, there were still a few tasks that were challenging. This project made use of trimmers from the IWLA. Multiple adults had trouble or were uncomfortable with operating the trimmers. This was resolved by having adults comfortable with the trimmers demonstrate to others how to use trimmers. Also, in the morning, the IWLA Quartermaster brought a crew up to the campsites to cut two fallen trees into logs. For this reason, I had to adjust the site assignments so that his crew had enough space to work.
Campsites 7 and 9 were particularly challenging to work on as both had fallen trees. While IWLA Quartermaster attempted to cut the fallen trees into logs, his chainsaw broke. As a result, groups 7 and 9 had to work around the fallen trees. Campsite 7 was even more challenging as the fallen trees covered the area designated for setting up a tent. For this reason, I worked with this group to carve out an open space on the opposite side of the trail so that there would be enough space to set up a tent. During the project, I noticed that Campsite 9 had two fire pits (one of which was previously unnoticed because of brush overgrowth). I worked with this group to expand their campsite out to cover both firepits which required more time and energy. For this reason, groups working on less difficult sites were brought to campsite 7 and 9 once finished with their designated site.
Finally, it was a humid and hot day which made wearing masks difficult for everyone. However, frequent repetition and emphasis on the importance of wearing masks in emails, pre-meeting, and day-of briefing ensured that everyone adhered to the COVID-19 related safety guidelines.
Changes (from original proposal)
Early in the morning before the project, I had met with the IWLA Quartermaster who showed me the IWLA equipment that I could use and also informed me that there was a fallen tree on the road to the campsites which he and his crew had moved. The quantity of IWLA equipment available to use was more than I had estimated. As a result, to keep track of the equipment, I maintained a list of all equipment borrowed and verified the return of the same quantity of equipment at the end of the project.
Also, before work began on the sites, I went around to every site to ensure that no changes needed to be made to the plan. As I surveyed the sites, I saw that campsite 9 had another tree fallen. Seeing as how the Quartermaster was able to quickly remove a tree in the morning, I called and he agreed to come up to the campsites to cut the two trees on campsites 7 and 9. As a result, I needed to modify the camp assignments so the IWLA Quartermaster had enough room to safely remove the tree. To accomplish this, I looked at the current campsite assignments and modified them so that the one group which had not arrived would be on campsite 9. For safety reasons, I also made everyone aware that chainsawing was going to occur on campsites 7 and 9.
However, the IWLA Quartermaster’s chainsaw broke down and groups had to work around the fallen trees in their campsites. This was particularly challenging for the group on campsite 7 whose fallen trees covered the majority of the camping area. To solve this problem, a new open area was carved out of the other side of the trail so that the campsite had enough room for a tent.
Since each site was unique, some were easier to repair than others. As a result, some groups finished faster than others. As groups finished the core tasks assigned to them, I asked them to use any small, wide logs to define the boundary of their campsite. Also, if a parent/child team was done with their site and comfortable with moving, I assigned them to a more difficult site which was taking more time to work on. By bringing more people to difficult sites, I was able to expedite the project.
Since the campsites were elevated and only accessible by a narrow trail, I had planned on removing the 100+ bags of brush with the IWLA’s tractor and moving the bags to the designated brush pile. However, when I called the IWLA Quartermaster to confirm that they will be bringing the bags down I found out that there wasn’t anyone with access to the tractor at the IWLA at the time. For this reason, I worked with Mr. Pearson and he agreed to bring the tractor up with a few volunteers the following Saturday and bring the bags down to the brush pile.
Leadership
In this project, I demonstrated leadership through preparation and awareness.
From my first email to registered participants, I made clear the expectations of this project and what everyone should plan to bring/do. The day before the project, I held a pre-project meeting where I explained every task to be done in detail, what the conditions of the campsites were like, what everyone was expected to bring, and safety precautions. During this pre-project meeting, I also went over how I would like everyone to approach each task for their site. This ensured that everyone would arrive fully prepared and aware of what they are expected to do and how to do it. During the pre-project meeting I shared my personal contact information with everyone and spent the night before the project on calls with volunteers answering any questions they might have. I also demonstrated preparation through constant communication with the IWLA to ensure the project would run smoothly. In the weeks leading up to the project, I coordinated with the IWLA to revisit the campsites and make modifications to my plan. I also coordinated with the IWLA to ensure that my COVID-19 related modifications were in line with their COVID-19 guidelines. I worked with both the IWLA Chapter President and Quartermaster to borrow trimmers, rakes, and other tools for the day of the project.
I demonstrated awareness during this project by making frequent rounds to all of the campsites to check in on each group. Once each group began working on their designated site, I made rounds to each group where I asked about their progress, any tools they need, and if they had any questions. I kept track of their requests and brought them the tools they needed so that they could be as efficient as possible. In answering their questions, I was confident and resolute, providing precise answers to any questions they had. If they were struggling with a particular task, I would bring someone more comfortable over who could assist.
The most difficult part about being the leader of this project was ensuring that everyone was being as efficient as they could be. Through the pre-project meeting and morning safety and project briefings, I ensured that everyone was prepared to start work on their campsite. Once everyone got to their campsite and began work, I started making rounds to everyone to check in. As I checked in on everyone and answered any questions, I also worked on bringing them any materials they needed. At times, I was being asked by several different groups for materials. Making sure that I was bringing everyone what they needed while maintaining an understanding of where everyone was on their sites was a difficult task. As groups finished their assigned site, I moved them to other sites to work so that everyone was helping. To overcome this challenge of keeping track of everyone, I maintained a list of all running tasks that I need to do on a notepad which I constantly updated.
As the leader of this project, the most rewarding moment was at the end of the project when I saw each group looking back at their completed campsite with pride. It was rewarding to see everyone feeling good about what they had accomplished at the end of the day. To commemorate each group’s work, I took a picture of each group with their completed site.
In conducting this project I learned several important lessons about leadership:
First, I learned about the power of good preparation. By taking steps to make sure all groups knew what they were expected to do, the project was conducted smoothly. The pre-project meeting brought all groups on the same page regarding what they were expected to do and how to do it. By working closely with the IWLA, I made sure that all groups had enough tools to conduct their project. Through good preparation, the project ran smoothly. As a result, everyone who attended the project at no time felt rushed or unable to work. For this reason, the project was a more satisfying experience for everyone.
Second, I also learned about the importance of being confident in my decisions. As the project went on and each group came to me with questions about their site or how they should take on a task, I learned that I had to be confident in my decisions. I had to be confident because each group looked to me for the answers. If I was not confident in my answers, groups would not be sure what to do and the project would not have been conducted as well or effectively. For this reason, I learned the importance of confidence in leadership.
Finally, leading this project reminded me of the power of taking the initiative and seizing opportunities. Initially, I had not planned to do anything about the fallen trees and, instead, have the groups work around them. However, when I saw that the IWLA Quartermaster had a crew ready to chainsaw trees, I took the opportunity to ask him to come by the sites and cut the fallen trees into logs that could be used by the campfire or removed. Also, as groups finished their site, I asked them if they could help out with more difficult sites instead of telling them that they were done and could leave. By taking this opportunity to have more people work on difficult sites, the overall quality of the final campsites were much better.
Eagle and Beyond – An update from Bhavjeet
The process of becoming an Eagle Scout teaches you so many valuable skills that set you up for success. I have found the leadership, communication, and organization skills I learned from my time in Troop 20, and while planning my Eagle Scout project, to have so many applications in my everyday life.