Boy Scout Tristan Maxheimer sets his sights on his Eagle with a project at St. John’s United Church of Christ

 

[December 26, 2024]    In the past few years, several local boy scouts have completed Eagle Scout projects that benefit the community in some way. Tristan Maxheimer is one of those scouts who recently completed such a project.

Tristan Maxheimer’s project was done at St John's United Church of Christ in Lincoln. On the back side of the church there is a sunken garden. The church has long been wanting to have the sod put down. Maxheimer said, “after they've tried multiple times, it was proven to be difficult to finish.”

The challenge seemed to be part of what drew Maxheimer to the project. As Maxheimer said, “my project was chosen out of a few different options, and it stood out to me because it was not an easy project. It was a very technical and difficult project that was attempted by the church multiple times, but never finished.” He said, “I saw it as an opportunity to prove what I learned during my road in scouting.”

Eagle Scout projects often take many hours to plan and execute and Maxheimer’s project was no exception.

For the project, Maxheimer said there was a lot of planning. It took a couple weeks to plan out and get the right equipment. Then a group of people spent almost 10 hours on a Friday digging out soil and grass.

Maxheimer said, “the project consisted of my uncle, my grandpa, my father, my sister, and her boyfriend and, of course, myself. We then spent the Saturday after with the scouts leveling the ground and laying sod which took five to six hours.”

As he did the project, Maxheimer said, “I measured it out dug out multiple tons of dirt, brought in some black dirt and then laid the sod and continued to water it for the next few months.”

With all the dirt needed, there was some costs involved. To help with the costs of the project, Maxheimer said, “Most of the project funds for materials were donated.”

This sunken garden also beautifies the area. Maxheimer said, “my project directly benefits the church as it gives a nice place to do outside activities or just look. It also can benefit the community that attends the church or maybe even just people who come for an event.”

Eagle Scout service projects like the one Maxheimer did are a requirement for any youth to earn their Eagle rank. These projects are intended to benefit the community and require a significant effort to complete. Eagle Projects allow Scouts to demonstrate leadership skills they have developed and also make a positive impact.

The work Maxheimer did on the sunken garden at St. John’s United Church of Christ is likely to beautify the area for many years.

[Angela Reiners]