In Boy Scouts, when a scout is attempting to earn the Eagle Scout rank, he must organize and carryout a community service project. Our Savior Lutheran Church, in Valentine, Nebraska, had a badly sloped lawn which directed rainwater and sprinkler water into the church basement, thus making it unusable. For my Eagle Scout project, I decided to help the church correct this problem by changing the gradient on the east side of the church to redirect water away from the basement to the road and move irrigation sprinkler heads to improve water flow.
This project helped me to learn how to plan a project, solve problems, coordinate and direct people and activities, and employ basic engineering skills to achieve a successful outcome. For the first step, I had to gain permission to conduct the project from the church council, which I completed by attending a meeting and describing what the project would entail. Next, I had to contact the Boy Scout representative and complete all necessary paperwork to gain approval for the project so that I could use it for my Eagle rank. To complete the project, I needed equipment, volunteers, and food to feed the volunteers. For volunteers, I asked and received help from my fellow troop members, church members, and community members. Equipment was rented or borrowed, and food and water were
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A sod cutter was then used to remove all sod from a 30 x 20 section of the east lawn. The sod was rolled and moved aside to be replaced later. The dirt was loosened using a tiller and hand tools and then moved into a position which would drained the water away from the building. The ground was further shaped, flattened, and packed by using 2 x 4 boards dragged across the ground. In addition to the general slope that was planned, a swale was built to make a more definitive path for the downspout water to be directed away from the