Construction of safety rails was the project’s easy part

By Spencer Isbell

Over the summer, I worked with Hollywood’s American Legion Post 43 to complete my Eagle Project. The American Legion supports veterans physically, mentally and emotionally. At their classic building on North Highland Avenue, the front yard included a hazardous, unexpected, 3-foot step-down drop.

Working with the Post’s commander, I designed and built a safety railing. I spent more than 50 hours researching, planning and fundraising. With the funds, I purchased 110 feet of aluminum tubing and dozens of fittings. The construction phase of the project lasted two days, during which I led 18 Scouts to complete the project.

The part that I found most challenging, and most rewarding, was not actually the construction of the project. Instead, it was the hours of preparing, the communicating and the leadership skills I got a chance to use.

The safety rail seemed simplistic enough.

When I broke down all the necessary phases and discovered the very precise leveling required, I realized that the project would be more difficult than it had first seemed. The work paid off. Now, the veterans and their guests have a safety railing.

Completing my Eagle Project was the last step for earning Eagle rank. Having completed my board of review, I am now looking forward to being officially awarded the Eagle Scout rank at a ceremony with friends and family in the spring.

Spencer Isbell is a senior at Loyola High School.

By Casey Russell

Girl cookies are officially being sold! Online sales started in mid-January and booth sales will begin on Fri., Feb. 10, and continue through Fri., March 10.

The newest flavor — a spinoff of the Scout’s trademark Thin Mints — is called the Raspberry Rally. That cookie, with its chocolaty coating, will only be sold in limited quantities online.

Longtime favorites will be sold online and in booths, so keep your eyes open for activities, Girl Scouts has helped me become more of a well-rounded participant in my community.

Girl Scouts emphasizes community service as one of its core principles. Individual troops have the ability to achieve bronze, silver and gold awards. The bronze award was for a group activity where my troop worked together to clean up trash on our beaches. This experience helped me to come up with my silver award project. I made masks for volunteers at animal rescues during the early days of the pandemic. Now in my junior year, I am coming up with gold award ideas that will make a lasting impact on society. These awards give us the freedom to choose a problem that we

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By Diane Gilmore St. James’ Episcopal

Church sponsors a Family Cub Pack — boys, girls and parents, too. This new way of Scouting brings the family together on overnight adventures, day hikes and field trips. Scouting is a purely volunteer activity, and it has been wonderful to now host coed adventures.

Families want more outdoor activity. In small groups, Pack 10 participants go overnight camping, challenge themselves with day hikes in the Los Angeles area and walk to a neighborhood fire station.

Cubs learn to cook their own food and to safely use a pocketknife or a bow and arrow. Parents often find themselves learning new skills, too.

Big Pack events, called Pack Meetings, are adventures like sailboat regattas, Cub Olympics, camp skit nights (called Howling at the Moon) and, of course, the Pinewood Derby, a race of Cub-made unpowered miniature wooden cars.

Pack 10 brings both St. James’ School and neighboring families together. The Pack now boasts 34 families, all contributing their time to teach the aims of Scouting: character, fitness and citizenship. With all families pitching in — some on weekdays, some on weekends — we teach our youth to “Do Your Best.”

Pack 10 thanks our neighbors who supported us during our recent fundraising effort — the Scout popcorn sale.