Mirador 4/23/10 Feature 11

MHS Eagle Scouts Benefit Communityby Madeleine Neuburger

While one of The Boy Scouts of America’s statistics states that only two of every 100 boy scouts gains their Eagle Scout ranking, a strikingly large amount of boys from Miramonte High School have accomplished the feat.

Miramonte juniors Ross Andrews, Camron Stevens, Daniel Martis, and Brian Raaka have completed their initiation projects, and have either already had their acceptance ceremony in the Eagle Court of Honor or are waiting for their court date in April.

In order to become an Eagle Scout, which is the highest ranking within the Boy Scout program, boy scouts must complete five other ranks. To achieve these rankings, scouts must accomplish tasks such as community service or environmental knowledge and aid.

At the end of their training, aspiring Eagle Scouts must organize and execute a final project that will benefit a large number of people, the community, or the environment.

While some aspiring Eagle Scouts come up with their own project plan, others choose their idea based off of a request.

This was the case for Raaka, whose troop was sent a list of projects that were needed from Springhill Elementary School in Lafayette.

Raaka chose to create a shed in which students at the elementary school could store their garden tools, enabling them to safely garden with adequately maintained supplies.

“The actual process took a total of nine days,” said Raaka. “I had to make sure I had all the materials to dig out a footing, lay down rebar, and pour concrete. Next I built the shed, which was supposed to be prefabricated, but ended up being a pile of poorly cut wood.”

Though the Eagle Scout project is designed to be accomplished individually, they are allowed to have assistance and help with their projects. In Raaka’s case, Tom Stevens, the father of Camron Stevens who also did an Eagle Scout project, aided Raaka in the construction of the shed.

“He helped me construct one of the nicest looking and sturdiest sheds in the area,” said Raaka. “Without his

help I wouldn’t have been able to even start constructing the shed.”

Similar to Raaka, Andrews also came up with an Eagle Scout project that would benefit a local elementary school. Andrews chose to refurbish old benches on Glorietta Elementary School’s campus as well as create new benches for their students.

“I really wanted to do something at Glorietta because I live nearby and I had noticed how all of their benches had wood which was splintering, cracking, and bending,” described Andrews. “With the expanding class sizes, teachers needed to have some kids sit outside, and because of the poor quality of the benches some of the kids were getting splinters.”

Andrews’ project took a total of five days, which he spent working with friends and fellow scouts to create new wooden benches and remove the old benches.

“I got a letter from every single kid in the school thanking me,” said Andrews. “My project not only benefitted the school, because they got new benches; the project inspired them to enlist other Eagle Scouts to help them with projects. Now the students don’t have to worry about getting hurt on the benches.”

Stevens’ Eagle Project aided Glorietta Elementary School as well.

Stevens built a bench and trellis in memory of a Teacher’s Assistant, Toni Russel, who died of pancreatic cancer after 22 years of aiding teacher Tricia Newheart.

Stevens’ project was carried out during President’s Day weekend and took four days.

With the help of fellow scouts and friends, Stevens removed shrubbery and excavated the area, sanded the bench wood, paved the area with brick, and set up the trellis.

“Toni’s family really appreciates it,” said Stevens. “I’ve seen a lot of kids reading on the bench during gopher club.”

Martis, who became an Eagle Scout last year, chose to aid an orphanage in Leon,

Mexico. On a church youth group trip to Mexico, Martis noticed

how badly many of the orphanages needed supplies and was inspired to use the cause for his Eagle Scout project.

“It was hard to talk with the orphanage directors because I couldn’t speak Spanish,” described Martis.

Yet despite the language gap, with the help of fellow scouts and the Santa Maria Youth Group, over the course of three months Martis was able to complete his Eagle Scout project by sending school supplies to an orphanage in Mexico.

Though the Eagle Scout project takes a large amount of work, dedication, and time between the physical labor and paper work, the rewards are huge as well.

“It takes a lot of hard work, including community service, long hikes, and first aid training, but in the end the satisfaction feels so great,” said Stevens.

Princess Project Provides Prom Dressesby Hannah Tennant

Every spring, thousands of high school girls head for the city in search of a prom dress that will make them feel beautiful on prom night.

In our community especially, many girls spend extravagant amounts on a glitzy, glamorous dress, which, after being paraded about all night, will never again see the light of day. After prom, it is tucked safely away into closets where it is pulled out once every few years with a sigh of nostalgia.

Yet for many girls, the luxury of being able to afford a prom dress is not a reality. With Junior Prom a month behind us, and Senior Ball in the near future, we should all consider the selfless act of shaking the cobwebs off our beautiful dresses and giving to the less fortunate.

The Princess Project tackles this problem. Located in San Francisco, this non-profit organization began in February of 2002 when founders Laney Whitcanack and Kristi Smith Knuston responded to the pleas of a dress-less girl. They pooled together the efforts of their friends to get her a dress, and realized their ability to assist hundreds of girls with the same problem.

Every year, the Princess Project receives donations from individuals and corporations. These donations include

accessories as well as dresses. They then hold an annual “giveaway event,” where less fortunate high school girls can go to receive a dress, make-up, and accessories. This event is held once every spring, in a large San Francisco warehouse.

Since 2002, The Princess Project has given dresses to over 9,000 girls. They describe their organization as “promoting self-confidence and individual beauty by providing free prom dresses and accessories to high school girls who cannot otherwise afford them.” Girls become eligible to receive dresses based on the honor system. The Princess Project hopes that girls will only take advantage of this wonderful service when they are truly in need.

Perhaps instead of letting our beautiful dresses become a feeding ground for dust mites and spider webs, we could give them to somebody who would appreciate them once more.

In order to donate, visit princessproject.org for more information.

If you do not have a dress to donate, there are other opportunities to give back, such as volunteering to sort out dresses at the annual “giveaway event.” Photos: M.C.T Campus/Bart Ah You

Photos: M. Neuburger

Clockwise from top: Ross Andrews refurbished benches at Glorietta for his Eagle Scout Project. Camron Stevens created a trellis patio for that elementary school as well. The benches Ross Andrews fixed up give elementary school children a nice place to eat lunch.

Several Miramonte junior males have completed their Eagle Scout rankings

Above: An ex-cited high school student in need receives a prom dress. Right: A girl picks her dream dress from an assortment of donations.