Mason’s recent promotion to the rank of Life Scout meant that he was eligible to begin his Eagle project. Long before he could actually begin, he knew he wanted to build a Gaga Pit at his school. Gaga is a popular game. It’s similar to dodge ball and played in a walled enclosure at many camps. The goal is to hit players with the ball below the knees. At school, it’s a great option because the more players, the better in this fast paced game.
Selling the idea to the school was not hard. The principal and PTSA actually approached the Boy Scout Troop about a year ago inquiring if any scouts would be able to take this on as an Eagle project. We knew Mason wanted to do it but we had to cross our fingers and hope that he would be the first one in his troop to hear about it.
Mason and Bill worked together to complete the Eagle project application. This included taking photos and measurements of the Gaga Pit at Camp Ondessonk, researching materials and mapping out a few locations for the pit at school. Mason also met with the principal and got her approval of the plans.
Tonight Mason met with two scout leaders and presented his project from start to finish. He discussed construction plans, budget, safety and funding. The leaders asked questions and made suggestions. Sometimes the leaders deny the project because the scout has not thought things through well enough but thanks to Mason’s preparation, he got the stamp of approval!
We took him out to a celebratory dinner at Sakura and continued the Gaga Pit talk there. Time is of the essence since his goal is to build the Gaga Pit over the summer and around his summer camp sessions. With the aim of getting as much help from the community as possible, he has to schedule workdays and spread the word out before school gets out in a few weeks.
Let the games begin!
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