By Senior Airman Kaylee Clark
19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Many kids spend their summers at the pool or at sleepovers with friends, but David Evans spent many days of his summer coordinating and executing a Boy Scout project.
David spent approximately 165 hours volunteering to earn money, planning and completing the project which put two benches in Heritage Park. He raised $1,019 for the project.
While staying in lodging at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., David would walk around Heritage Park and noticed there weren’t any benches or seating at the park. He decided that the lack of benches gave him the perfect opportunity to complete his Eagle Scout project.
“I chose this project because I noticed a need and wanted to fill it,” he said.
American Legion Post 71 and Home Depot in Cabot donated monetary and material supplies. Cabot Trailer Park also helped by employing Evans with odd jobs to make money for his project. Several private citizens also donated money to the cause.
In execution of the project, David recruited the help of his friends from the Air Force Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corp program at Cabot High School in conjunction with a member from Post 71, his parents, an Assistant Scoutmaster and a fellow Boy Scout.
He has been a Scout for 5 years; next February will be the start of his sixth year. Scouting starts with service, and for the higher ranks it’s a requirement to serve a set number of community service hours. To become an Eagle Scout, one has to plan and execute a service project using leadership skills.
“One of the reasons I chose the bench I did was because it has a warranty for fifty years,” said David. “I’ll be able to come back and say yeah, that name in the cement, that’s me. I did this.”
For David, the benches stand as a reminder of all of the hard work and dedication that was put into the project.
With plans to join the Air Force as an officer through the Air Force Academy, the Eagle Scouts program will give him experience and knowledge on leadership.
“Summer was optimal because of no school and the weather,” he said.
“Have I been busy? Yes.”
“Stressed? Excruciatingly.”
“Had a break? Not really.”
“But I wouldn’t have chosen to spend my summer any differently, service to the base, and earning Eagle Scout outweighs it all tenfold,” Evans said.
The project gives David the opportunity to share his love of aircraft with others.
“While he was writing his after-action report, he came to realize just how his project has impacted him on a personal development level; and that, to him, was priceless,” said David’s father, Master Sgt. Paul Evans.
When he realized that the park was enjoyed by people of all ages, he noticed there wasn’t anything to encourage senior citizens to enjoy the park.
“Scouting has been a huge part of David’s life and he’s learned a lot,” said his father. “Regardless of the trial he’s faced, Scouting and his faith have taught him how to seek the teaching moment and the lesson from the trial and apply it to his life.”
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