Scouts use Eagle projects to help local churches

Local scouts Cody Heeren (left) and Ryan DeVos (right) decided to dedicate their Eagle Scout projects to updating two separate church grounds. Heeren installed a flagpole and DeVos renovated a storage shed. [Click to enlarge]

For Boy Scouts, Eagle Scout is the highest rank they can achieve.

To earn such distinction, scouts must demonstrate that they live by the principles of the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives, earn a total of 21 merit badges, serve actively in a position of responsibility for six months, and plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project.

Scouts Ryan DeVos and Cody Heeren of Troop #188, decided to reach out to their community and better their home churches.

DeVos, 15, of Le Mars has been in the Boy Scouts program for seven years, where he has earned a sash full of merit badges, 41 to be specific.

He is currently the Senior Patrol Leader of Troop #188, a position he was elected to by his peers.

Initially, he struggled to land on what he wanted to do for his Eagle Scout project, until a suggestion came from a fellow attender of Calvin Christian Reformed Church in Le Mars.

"I was thinking about what I wanted to do, when Tom De Koster suggested the shed in back at the church," DeVos said. "I thought it was a great idea. The church helped me grow up and I wanted to give back to them for helping me along the way."

DeVos checked over the shed where the church keeps its garbage cans, lawn mower, Vacation Bible School supplies, and other items that need to be stored.

"It was in pretty bad shape," DeVos said. "The boards on the bottom of the shed were rotting, there were a few holes, the locking system was a block of wood, the two doors were too small so snow and rain would get inside. The shed itself was a little off-center because of the cement and there wasn't too much space for storage inside."

DeVos then purchased the supplies needed to fix up the shed which sits on the edge of the parking lot. Calvin Central Reformed Church supplied the money necessary to complete the project.

When it came time to work, other scouts and Ryan's father, Al DeVos, helped.

"My dad showed everyone what to do," DeVos said. "He has experience with this kind of thing."

The renovations were extensive.

"We went right over top of the old wood with the siding," DeVos said. "We ripped out the old doors and cut a new space for the new doors, we made new corner pieces, started trimming pieces for the top of the shed since its at an angle, and we put new shelves on the inside."

Using every material he could, DeVos made the new shelves out of the wood from the old doors.

DeVos, who will be a freshman at Le Mars Community High School this fall, is nearly completed with his Eagle Scout project, finding time to work on it between summer football workouts.

Once finished, DeVos will go before a board of review in Sioux City which will ask him questions about general topics and his project, and hopefully grant him his Eagle Scout status.

DeVos wasn't the only scout who improved church grounds with his Eagle Scout project.

A flagpole at Grace Lutheran Church in Le Mars flies an American flag and a Christian flag thanks to scout Cody Heeren.

The 16-year-old Le Mars Community High School sophomore has been very active with the program in the nine years he has participated.

He's earned 42 merit badges, is a lodge member of Kit-Ke-Hak-O-Kut, a brotherhood member, a representative for the Order of the Arrow, a member of the Eagle Patrol, and has attended several of the Boy Scout camps in the past, including the recently tornado-stricken Little Sioux Scout Ranch.

The only honor Heeren seemed to be missing was being an Eagle Scout, something that his flagpole project should take care of.

"I decided to do this because another kid wanted to put up a flagpole and our pastor got really excited about it, but then at the last second he decided not to," Heeren said. "I thought it'd be an easy project, but it turned out to be pretty hard."

Heeren started the project last August and worked on it until winter, then started up again this June.

He first had to pitch his plan to the elders, trustees and voters at Grace Lutheran before he could begin. After receiving their go-ahead, Heeren took private donations to partially pay for his project -- Grace Lutheran donated the rest.

"I had to clear 34 inches of rock and had to dig 3 1/2 feet down into the ground, all by hand," Heeren said. "We poured the concrete that we mixed in and let it set for about two weeks before we put the pole in."

Heeren said he was helped on the project by some people from his patrol, other patrols, and some leaders. The flagpole itself was shipped from a company based in Minnesota.

Around June 29, Heeren put the finishing touches on the landscaping around the pole by the church sign. Grace Lutheran held a small ceremony to commemorate the new flagpole, fittingly on July 4.

"There were a couple people out at the church to raise the flags," Heeren said. "It was nice to see some of the leaders and members of the church out there, too."

Choosing this service project was an easy decision for Heeren, who says his church is very important to him.

"It's where I was confirmed, baptized, went to Sunday School, and took my First Communion," Heeren said. "I do lots of volunteering at the church and in the community."

Sticking to the principles of the Scout Oath and Law, Heeren is also quick to praise others.

"I just want to thank everyone who helped by donating time and money to this project," he said. "It was greatly appreciated."