Kickapoo Creek Park gets a new flag pole courtesy of Jackson Mathon's Eagle Scout project

 

[January 23, 2025] 

In the past few years, several scouts have completed Eagle Scout projects that benefit the community in some way. Jackson Mathon’s Eagle Scout project is one example.

Community service projects are a requirement for any youth to earn their Eagle rank. These projects require a significant effort to complete.

An Eagle Scout planning guide website says these projects require the scout “to plan, organize, and direct a project of significant value.” It also provides an “opportunity to demonstrate leadership qualities.”

Jackson Mathon’s Eagle Project was the flagpole improvement at Kickapoo Creek Park. It consisted of leveling off the area around the flagpole, removing the old pole and installing a new one, adding solar lights, and putting in a landing pad made out of pavers around the flag.

Mathon said, “I decided that I wanted to do a project of some kind there multiple years ago, as the people there had been such a great help to the troop, and the park is one of my favorite places in general, and I wanted to give back.”

Mathon carefully considered what he wanted to do for his project. He said, “after spending multiple years looking for what I wanted to do I had it narrowed down to either clearing out much of the underbrush and invasive species in the park, or improving the old and rapidly degrading flagpole.”

The first would be extremely impactful, but Mathon said it would be very impermanent in nature and was already beginning to be done by the park's staff as it was.

Because of that fact, Mathon helped with some of that removal individually, and it may become a service project at some point. However, for an Eagle Project, Mathon decided improving the flagpole seemed to be a better idea, as it had a greater perceived impact, would be longer lasting, and would serve to bring the flagpole back into accordance with the flag code.

Mathon said, “planning my project began multiple years ago, but I truly began to complete the paperwork in the late spring of 2024. Following that, I visited one of the park's board meetings and presented my plan. After a few questions on the details, they approved the premise, and I completed the rest of the paperwork before visiting them again near the end of the summer for final approval.

After around 15 hours of planning and paperwork, Mathon said the actual work began. “The week before the project, I surveyed the area and plotted out what we needed to do.”

Then, Mathon’s dad (Mark Mathon) then loaded their tractor and dropped it off in the park in order to use it for setting the rough grade. His dad ran the machine in this case, as scouts are not allowed to run power tools or gas powered machines.

Next Mathon dug up around the flagpole and pulled the old one, which was nearing the point of being able to fall. His Dad then used the tractor to dig the hole necessary to put in the new concrete base, weighing around 800 pounds. “We then very carefully rolled that into place and leveled it.”

In the following days, Mathon and his dad drove to Menards in Forsyth, as they offer a discount on materials for those completing eagle projects. Following that, it was the first day of the eagle project, and they had sand delivered to the site.

On Saturday morning of the project, Mathon said people began arriving and the job truly began.

Eagle projects are less about the work actually completed, and more about demonstrating planning and leadership. Therefore, Mathon said, “rather than doing the work myself, my main purpose was coordinating the work and keeping people safe and on task. I separated people into three groups, one loading wheelbarrows with gravel, one running those wheelbarrows up to the pad, and the last group unloading those wheelbarrows and leveling off the gravel.”

That process continued until there was a level pad of gravel at a little over three inches thick. Mathon said the process then repeated again with sand, but after making a circle with a diameter of around four feet the most tedious process began, bricklaying.

The landing pad around the base was made up of 681 pavers from a circle kit followed by square blocks to increase the diameter.

Mathon said it was a very delicate process of numbering the blocks to follow the pattern, leveling the sand for a final check, laying the pavers, setting the pavers with a mallet, checking the final grade to make sure that the pad would drain water properly, and repeat the process for 13 more rows until all 681 pavers were laid and set.

Four people then went through with screwdrivers and levels making sure that pavers were level, evenly spaced, and making the proper grade overall. Next, edging and locking sand was applied and compacted. Finally, the flagpole and lights were installed, and the project was complete. Overall, Mathon said planning took around 20 hours over the course of six active months, and the work took two days, and including my his work around 150 man hours to complete.

As with most projects, there were some costs involved. Mathon said after proposing the idea to the park board, they agreed to do it and graciously offered to cover the costs of materials. Because of this great kindness, he said “I did not need to do any fundraising.”

While the Logan County Trails Association was perfectly happy to cover the entire cost, Mathon said, “I could not take that fully with a good conscience.” Therefore, the cost of the sand, gravel and pavers were covered by the {park board], while the [Mathon] family supplied the lights and flagpole. Mathon said, “we were able to buy a very nice flagpole at an auction for a reasonable price and chose to donate that to the park through the project.”

Mathon’s project benefited the community as the appearance of the park was improved and the flag itself was brought back into the guidelines of the flag code. Additionally, Mathon said the experience of conducting flag ceremonies, which multiple groups do throughout the year, is significantly improved.

This project also serves to improve the longevity of the flagpole, as the new pole and landing pad will last for years to come, serving to improve the appearance of the park as this project resulted in a better flagpole and overall larger impact resulting from the displayed flag from before.

Since the flagpole is likely to be used for years to come by many people, Mathon’s project will have a lasting impact.

Angela Reiners