Eagle Scout projects provide support for students and pets
by Amanda LaRiviere
An Eagle Court was held Sept. 24 to celebrate a tight-knit group of nearly a dozen Harvard young men who have earned the honor of becoming Eagle Scouts; it is one of the largest groups of Scouts in town history to attain Scouting’s highest rank.
In this fourth and final installment of vignettes, the Press shares Eagle Scout projects completed by Tucker Madison, Michael Arata, and John Wilkins.
Alex Myles, Sawyer Madison, and Tucker Madison test a dog bed with their furry friend Sadie. Tucker donated 10 beds to Buddy Dog Humane Society in Sudbury. (Courtesy photos)
Tucker Madison provides comfort for pets
After reading an article about an Eagle Scout who made dog beds for an animal shelter, Tucker Madison knew he had found a project idea that aligned with his passions. Madison contacted Buddy Dog Humane Society, a nonprofit animal shelter in Sudbury that cares for and facilitates the placement of stray, homeless, and unwanted dogs and cats, and proposed his plan to make beds for the animals.
Madison researched bed designs and watched video tutorials to learn how to build the beds. He assembled PVC piping into rectangular shapes and fastened pieces of fabric around them. “We made two different sized beds,” said Madison, who invested 102 hours in his project. “There was a smaller size for dogs like chihuahuas and then a larger one that would fit dogs up to the size of a Great Dane.” With the help of other Scouts, Madison built 10 beds for the shelter.
While Madison wasn’t able to watch any of the animals use the finished products, he made sure his own furry friend tried one out. “I did test it out with my dog, Sadie, and she seemed pretty happy,” said Madison, adding that members of the shelter were grateful when he arrived with the beds.
“Beds tend to be very expensive for a nonprofit, so it was fantastic that he was able to build a whole series of brand new ones,” said Scoutmaster Gary Madison.
Michael Arata builds interactive sensory boxes
Michael Arata wanted to think outside the box for his Eagle Scout project—so he created interactive sensory boxes, called “little rooms,” and attached a variety of playful objects to them. The boxes were donated to Assabet Valley Collaborative, a facility in Marlborough that provides support services to students with social, emotional, intellectual, and physical disabilities.
Michael Arata works on builidng “little rooms” for his Eagle Scout project in his backyard.
“Basically, it’s a box with a bunch of objects hanging down from it with elastics, which are used to help children with sensory disorders,” said Arata. “The objects are made of different textures and make different sounds.”
For elementary-age children, Arata built two small boxes, which were a foot tall and a foot wide. He attached plexiglass with multiple holes to the top of each box, allowing children to breathe while they lie under or sit in the little room. Tethered to the panels are objects with different colors and designs that children can explore, such as plastic toys, mirrors, balls, and plastic spoons. “Different interactive panels may be used by supervising teachers and therapists for working on different students’ needs and development,” said Arata. Two larger boxes were made for students of middle school to high school age.
Arata invested 200 hours in his project, which involved following a design template, filling out paperwork, and building the boxes from scratch. He received a $500 contribution from Home Depot in Leominster through a program that helps fund Eagle Scout projects.
“I always try to give back,” said Arata, adding that he’s excited to hear feedback from students using his sensory boxes.
Clockwise from left: Alex Myles, Tucker Madison, Mike Arata, Owen Cameron, Sawyer Madison, John Wilkins, and Noah Berthoud eat at one of the new HES study tables.
John Wilkins installs picnic tables at Hildreth Elementary School
John Wilkins said he was passionate about working on a project that would benefit the Hildreth Elementary School community. With a goal to help Harvard’s youngest learners, Wilkins contacted Josh Myler, HES principal at the time, and they devised a plan to build picnic tables for the school’s outdoor classroom.
The amphitheater classroom at the end of the Small Nature Trail was in need of a workspace for students. A document posted on the Harvard Conservation Trust’s website explained that this trail is regularly used by science teachers. Wilkins said the purpose of installing picnic tables was to facilitate additional group activities and study time for students.
Wilkins set up a GoFundMe and raised $675 within 12 hours of the initial posting. “It was pretty crazy,” Wilkins said, adding that his goal was originally $500. “I also got $100 from Home Depot because if you tell them you’re an Eagle Scout working on a project, they’ll help you.”
For around six months, Wilkins worked on designing and building the picnic tables with the help of other Scouts. He used pinewood planks and added a double coat of stain to make them durable for years to come. Wilkins installed three picnic tables in June around the outdoor classroom.
“It looks fantastic now,” he said. “We also put concrete slabs under the tables so they wouldn’t rot, and we landscaped the classroom a bit.” Wilkins said he was happy to make a meaningful contribution to HES that will provide students with a new setting for outdoor learning.
