Four Birdhouses. One Eagle Scout. A Lasting Impact.
Before my 18th birthday, I earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest honor in Boy Scouts.
Backstory
I joined Cub Scouts because my first-ever friend was in it, and I wanted to spend more time with him. I never could have imagined that a decision made for such a simple reason would eventually lead me to Eagle Scout nearly 13 years later.
Along the way, a lot changed. My first friend eventually left our troop, but I stayed and made new friends of my own. Even though I technically belonged to a troop in Green Bay, my hometown, I joined a troop in Portland for multiple summers so I could attend summer camp and earn merit badges to keep progressing. I kept showing up year after year, even as the people and circumstances around me changed.
Eagle Scout was always in the background. My first friend's dad had his Eagle Scout award displayed in the hallway I walked through every day after school. After our weekly Scout meetings, my dad would remind me how important it was to finish what I had started. Even my doctor was an Eagle Scout. I grew up seeing Eagle Scouts as people who had demonstrated the discipline, responsibility, and commitment to follow something through.
By the time I began thinking about my own Eagle Scout project, I understood what was at stake. After nearly a decade in Scouting, the idea of having to propose, organize, and execute an entire project myself felt daunting—especially with a deadline approaching.
For my Eagle Scout service project, I designed and built four birdhouses, each tailored to accommodate a different bird species. I also created an educational plaque for each one explaining the species it supported, giving the project both an ecological and educational purpose. The birdhouses were eventually installed on my high school's campus.
Thirteen years after graduating, I went back to see them. To my disbelief, they were still there.
The cedar had weathered and discolored, but the birdhouses were intact and clearly still being used. The school president and landscape crew who had been there when I built them had since retired. They had become almost like old relics—quietly sitting on campus, long after the people who knew their story had moved on. I even remember another Eagle Scout in my troop building a garden for the school that was eventually removed after only a few years.
There was something about seeing those birdhouses still standing that stayed with me. I had built them for a specific project, on a specific deadline, with a specific goal in mind. But 13 years later, they were still serving a purpose. I realized that lasting impact doesn't always come from building something grand or making sure people remember who built it. Sometimes it's about simply building something useful, building it well, and giving it the chance to endure.
Looking back, I see earning Eagle Scout less as a destination and more as a foundation for many of the values that continue to shape my life. Most importantly, it gave me confidence in the power of sustained effort. It taught me that I can commit to something for a long time, even when the payoff isn't immediate or guaranteed, and trust that the work will eventually amount to something.
Sometimes you don't get to see what your effort becomes. Sometimes you won't know whether it will last. But that doesn't make the effort any less worthwhile.
The birdhouses gave me a small, tangible reminder of something I had been learning all along: keep building. The payoff may come later—and it may last longer than you ever expected.
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First off, it feels amazing to finally be an Eagle Scout. This has been a long journey. A lot of time has been put into this, and many people have helped me along the way.
My time as a Scout was filled with incredible experiences. I loved each and every moment, and there will always be a special place in my heart for Troop 1090. Just thinking about all of the campouts I’ve been on and all of the merit badges I’ve earned brings back so many great memories.
Scouting has been a huge part of my life, and now, after seven years, I can proudly say that I am grateful for everything I’ve accomplished and everything I’ve dared to try.
One of my favorite Scout songs is “Scout Vesper,” and I feel that this song captures exactly how I feel about my Scouting experience.
Softly falls the light of day,
While our campfire fades away.
Silently each Scout should ask:
“Have I done my daily task?
Have I kept my honor bright?
Can I guiltless sleep tonight?
Have I done and have I dared
In everything to be prepared?”Listen Lord, oh listen Lord,
As I whisper soft and low,
Bless my Mom and bless my Dad,
There is something they should know.
I have kept my honor bright.
The Oath and Law have been my guide.
Mom and Dad, this you should know,
Deep in my heart I love you so.And with that, I would like to give a final thank you to a select few people who sincerely and graciously helped me achieve this momentous honor.
First, I’d like to recognize the Witte family.
Lyle, thank you for being the friend who introduced me to Cub Scouts. It was because of you that I began my Scouting journey.
And Mr. Witte, thank you for displaying all of your awards in your hallway. Believe it or not, seeing those awards helped inspire me to pursue my own achievements and strive to earn as many as I could. So thank you.
Ben Klonowski, thank you for sticking with me until the very end. You made every meeting and every Scouting event more enjoyable. Whether it was 20 below or hot and humid, you were always there. Thank you for being my friend, my fellow Scout, and my wingman.
I’d also like to thank all of Dave and Ann’s past and present Scouts for making my time in Troop 1090 unforgettable. Each and every one of you, whether you worked on my Eagle project or not, helped me become the Eagle Scout I am today.
At this time, I would like to invite my mom to come up to the front.
Mom, thank you for supporting me every step of the way and for helping start my Boy Scout career on the right foot out in Portland. You graciously found me another troop so that I could attend summer camp and begin earning my very first merit badges.
I would also like to thank Eric, my stepfather, for driving me to all of my Boy Scout meetings while I lived in Portland. He even convinced me to go white-water rafting, which became an experience I will never forget.
Mom and Eric, please accept these mentor pins as a token of my gratitude.
I would now like to invite my dad and Char to come up to the front.
Char, thank you for sewing on the many patches I earned over the years. I believe we went through three Boy Scout shirts throughout this journey. Thank you for all of your hard work. My uniform represents everything I achieved in Scouting, and you helped make it something I could wear with pride.
Dad, thank you for supporting me every step of the way and for raising your hand to become Troop 1090’s treasurer. You were there for every meeting and every Scouting event, even when I wasn’t.
You were the first person to truly explain to me the importance of becoming an Eagle Scout and encouraged me to strive toward that goal.
My dad will be retiring as treasurer of Troop 1090 after six years of service. Although he was never a Boy Scout himself, I feel as though he was able to have his own Scouting experience through me.
There is something truly special about being able to say that your dad was there when you completed your first mile swim, when you were inducted into the Order of the Arrow, or when you simply took a long walk around Bear Paw Lake.
This ceremony is not just about me. Alongside my awards, you’ll also find my dad’s certificates and recognitions from his years of service in Scouting.
Dad, thank you for raising your hand and joining me on my Scouting journey—our Scouting journey.
Dad and Char, please accept these mentor pins as a token of my gratitude.
Last, but certainly not least, Dave and Ann, thank you for being the best Scoutmasters a boy could ask for.
Over the years, you have become family to me. Both of you have taught me so much about what it means to be a man. I appreciate all of your hard work over the past 30 years and especially the past seven years that you have spent guiding me.
I am so proud to be your Eagle, and I am forever grateful for the experiences you have given me.
I hope you continue your Scouting journey with the younger Scouts, because the work you have done has truly changed my life.
Dave and Ann, please accept these mentor pins as a token of my deepest gratitude.