Date: December 23, 1980

Project: We had an Assistant Scoutmaster, Larry Casapini. Now Mr. Casapini was retired Army and was working over at Jackson Schools as a groundskeeper. It was great for us Scouts, because any time we needed service hours we could go over to the football stadium on any Saturday morning during football season to help clean up after football games, or any other time of the year to help out with any projects they were working on. So when I decided it was time to do my project, it was a no brainer – Go ask Mr. Casapini! Sure enough, he had exactly the right project for me. The football stadium’s bleachers in those days were wood and starting to show their age. The project would entail rolling on wood preservative to all the bleachers, and also replacing of any splintered or damaged pieces. A great part of this project was that the school would provide everything I needed, which meant there was no fundraising for materials necessary. So I mobilized the Troop and in two absolutely beautiful spring weekends we were able to get the job done. Even though it was 1980, the stadium had the same two home and visitor side bleacher sections as today (2007), but the ones in the end zones were added later. That was a lot of wood to stain!

Special Memories: Too many to list; but the highlight had to be going to the 1981 National Jamboree, the first one at Ft. A.P. Hill. I was a fairly fresh Eagle and just finished my freshman year in high school. Scoutmaster Dave Herritt (Troop 4) asked me to be his ASPL, Ross Davidson, Ray Forney, and Tim Dickes were assistants. Our SPL was Todd Loxley, who had served in my Eagle Color Guard also became a close personal friend through college. That summer at camp I earned my 5th year Pipestone and BSA Lifeguard. I was asked to fill in on staff for the two weeks one of the aquatic staff members would be gone – but it was the same two weeks I was going to be at Jamboree. The staff member was going as well… just my luck! My time in Scouting with 935 is peppered with experiences with so many fellow Scouts and leaders that made great impressions on me. Mr. Casapini had very high standards for us, and we amazingly always seemed to rise to them. His nature knowledge was the best. Mr. Wolff was a patient and greatly respected leader that always knew just the right thing to say in any situation. Mr. Kiplinger was always good for a joke and a story about how tough the Marines were! Mr. Thomas, another incredibly proud man that cared so deeply about us but would never let us know it. And Mr. Plotner, we learned together. He learned how to be a Scoutmaster, and it seemed like I was always right next to him learning how to be the Eagle I already was. These men were my special memories, they put in a lot of hours and did whatever was needed to keep us going. The dedications of men like these made me the person I am today. And I only could’ve gotten that from Scouting.