Eagle Scout Project Shed to House American Flags
Submitted by Martin Wallberg American Legion Post 3
Due to the efforts of Eagle Scout Aidan Sheppard (Troop 72, Westfield), the Martin Wallberg American Legion Post 3 received a new storage shed.
Throughout his scouting career, Aidan Sheppard partnered several times with the American Legion to serve the community. For instance, each year Aidan sold Boy Scout popcorn door to door throughout town or at the local Stop & Shop, some residents decided to donate money in lieu of buying popcorn. Aidan decided to use the donated money to purchase popcorn and/or 20oz. trail mix pouches from his popcorn inventory to go into the monthly Military care packages put together by the Post 3 volunteers. Over several years, Aidan donated about $1,500 worth of product for the cause.
Each year the weekend before Memorial Day, the scouts of Westfield lay miniature American flags at the graves of veterans in Fairview Cemetery. The flags are proudly displayed for many months until they are ready to be retired, at which point they are brought to Post 3 along with other American flags residents drop off to be retired throughout the year. However, to store the flags before they were to be retired space was always an issue at the facility.
On his many trips to the Post, Aidan saw the flag storage issue and quickly realized it could be a good candidate for an Eagle Scout project that would honor and serve both the local community as well as the many veterans who gave so much for all of us. So, Aidan decided he wanted to build a custom 5×8 shed for the Post to house all the American flags before they were retired.
On June 12, 2022, Aidan was one of 5 scouts from Troop 72 to earn their rank of Eagle (Scouts BSA, highest rank) during the troop’s Eagle Court of Honor Ceremony. Multiple speakers at the ceremony pointed out, of all scouts since the inception of scouting in 1910, only 4% of scouts have earned the rank of Eagle. Some well-known Eagle Scouts you may have heard of include Gerald Ford, Martin Luther King, Jr., Neil Armstrong, Bill Gates, and Steven Spielberg to name a few.
In addition to earning many Merit Badges, and moving through years of rank advancement, an Eagle Scout must also undertake a project to benefit their community. Westfield was fortunate to be the beneficiary of this Eagle Scout project which will serve the community for many years to come.
To learn more about the Eagle Scout projects, visit Troop 72 online at troop72westfieldnj.org.
Congratulations to Aidan, the volunteers who helped on his project, and the American legion for their partnership on this spectacular achievement. Also, a special “Thank You” to Westfield Lumber & Home Center for their donation of all the paint used to paint the shed.
Photo by Colby Sheppard
