Personal Narrative: My Eagle Scout Project

One might wonder what a fifteen-year-old was doing standing atop a thirty-yard dumpster, chainsaw in hand, and yelling, "Give me more! It can hold more!" During my ninth grade year I saw an opportunity to complete my Eagle Scout project, helping the Lenape Valley Church remove massive piles of downed pine branches fallen during an early March ice storm, creating an eyesore and complaints from the local community. The project I was tackling was Herculean, and I, compared to now, very inexperienced at leading people. But it is Boy Scout’s duty to give back to his community and I had promised that the enormous piles of branches and snow would be gone before Easter.
At six in the morning I stood in the empty parking lot of Lenape Valley Church anticipating the arrival of volunteers and it started to drizzle; the annoying kind which seeps into clothes, soaking the underwear, sticking it to the butt. Surveying the scene, nothing had changed; not one twig had moved, not one pile had shrunk, and the snow had not melted. This was a daunting challenge; mounds of leaves, branches, and other debris
It was then I had a sudden, shocking realization. Everyone who came, all thirty-five people, were here because of me and my vision to help the community. This project was born because of my idea of helping restore the church property and, hopefully, improve the relationship between the troop and the church. But, this was all mine and I took the helm and guided it through the murky, rough seas to get it to this point. I learned I could be a leader and both adults and my peers respected me, saw my dedication and determination, and followed my lead. This realization brought a smile to my tired, dirty face, and gave me a boost of energy to help me finish off the