Aaron's Eagle Project
The money raised through this account will be used to pay for any expenses that I run into while doing this project. It will help pay for things like tools, materials, food, and drinks consumed by volunteers. At the projects completion, any left over money will be donated to the Church of which the project is for. Read to find out more...
Project Description
My name is Aaron Durham and currently I am serving in troop 49 as a life scout. I have been in scouts ever since my days as a bear scout in pack 49. Throughout this long journey I have learned many things that have prepared me for the rank of eagle scout. Some of those things are leadership, diligence and good works. For my eagle project I will use these values to support the church that I attend and leave a lasting benefit.
Near the location of the church there is a building that was donated to the congregation at Concord Church of Christ. The building has stood in its location, unused for around 2 years and its grounds have not been well maintained. There are lots of things that I could do to ensure the safety and prosperity of the area for years to come. The building has two entrances, a ramp and even its own parking lot along with an expansive yard. It is my hope that this area could be transformed and put to better use by the church.
There are numerous problems with the grounds of the building that I would like to fix. These problems are things like overgrown bushes, mold growth, deteriorated paint, exposed wood, erosion as well as rust and broken railing. The bushes that are overgrown make the property look very unappealing while some actually make it inaccessible. They block the ramp and stairs which lead to the doors into the building. The buildings exposure to the elements have also left its sides worse for wear with mold in abundance and paint peeling. When you stand at the front of the building and look to the right you can also see where the ground has started to form a downward slope. This has allowed rainwater to wash away large amounts of dirt from around the base of the stairs in that area. There is even a concrete slab that has water rushing underneath it because of the erosion. The ramp for the handicapped also needs to be fixed as its railing is in disrepair. Overall I plan on my efforts to leave the ground of this church building better than they were found.
Before I even get started on the grounds of the building I must first do some planning. I must discuss the project and all that I plan to do with my Scoutmaster as well as the Deacons and Elders of the Concord Church of Christ. I have received permission from my church leaders and when I get it from my scout leaders I will then begin work on the grounds of the building. With the resources and people that I have at my disposal, I plan on creating a lasting benefit at the churches building that will last for years to come.
This project will require many different tools and pieces of equipment. Of these tools, some I already have, will need to purchase or will need to borrow from willing people. I will need pick axes and shovels to dig out the overgrown bushes in the middle of the building and along its left side. Then chains and a tuck to pull said bushes out of their holes and clear of the working area. I’ll need wire brushes and red paint for the entrance poles that lead into the parking area. Along with red paint I will need some white paint as well. This white paint will be applied to the left stairs awning to protect the exposed wood from rotting. There is also a small door hidden between the left set of stairs and the middle bushes that need to be repainted. The white paint will also be used on that door.
When you turn onto the road that is in front of the building you will notice some bushes lining it. These shrubs have grown out of control and need to be “tamed”, so to speak. There are all kinds of weeds, small trees that have started to grow in the bushes. These saplings need to be removed as soon as possible before their roots get too deep and they become a bigger problem. When the bushes are free of weeds and saplings we will then work on trimming them into a size that is easier to maintain. Now, along the back of the property are two air conditioning units. There is nothing wrong with the inner workings of the machines themselves but on the outside there seems to be a small issue. The filters along the outside of the units are coated in grass clippings. This probably occurred as people cut the grass over the years and neglected to wipe down the units after. I should just be able to power wash the grass off of the two units and move on. Along with the air conditioning units, the sides of the building will also need to be power washed. This will get rid of the extensive amounts of mold that has been allowed to grow on the building.
With the handicap ramp situation, I would like to first try and repair the railing that is currently there. Going about it this way would save time as well as money. If the metal can be welded back together where it was broken, then why replace all of the railing for one break. One of the very last task that I will undertake is the creation of a flowerbed. This flowerbed will require me to buy small shrubs, a variety of flowers, mulch and some logs of landscape timber. The timber will be used to contain and keep the flower bed together. There is also the problem of erosion and in hope to stop the erosion from getting any worse I plan on extending the mouth of the water spout that is causing the problem. I want to take a downspout extension and add it to the waterspout to take the water farther out from its current drop point. The spout would lead the water further off so that the spillage will no longer cause erosion problems. The extension would also be able to go under the mulch that is in place for the flowerbed allowing for greater concealment.
Overall, with all the different things needed to be done, I believe that this project will take around 8 days of labor. This is just a guess and ultimately depends on when and how many people can come out. That being said, all of the work that is done on this project will come from those that volunteer their time. It will be my responsibility to keep these people safe and to make sure that everything is going smooth. I will put all my effort into this project and hope that at its completion it will be everything hoped for.
