2006 Eagle Scout Biography

Boy Scout Troop 410 - Eagle Scout Biography - Park Swan

Park crossed over from Pack 415 and is one of our troop's junior leaders. Park has a personality that is easy to get along with anyone, and his leadership skills have brought success to our troop. Park, even though is quiet spoken, is a great junior leader and in general is a classic example how a scout should act. Park took on a project that I know captured many hearts. At a young age, a sister of one of our scouts passed away in 2004. Park's project was to build some sort of memorial so that she would never be forgotten. That he did, Park added many features to an existing church playground and in the corner sets a memorial stone that will never fade away. Parks kind heart and caring attitude I know has brought satisfaction to the Allard family and I am extremely proud of him.

Eagle Scout - Park Swan

I launched my career in scouting by joining Cub Scout Pack 402, in Pomfret, Maryland, and then moved to Pack 415 (also in Pomfret) after a year so I could be with my friends. At the time, I had no idea what scouting was about, and I really did not care to find out. For most of my time in Cub Scouting, I had lots of fun learning new skills, but only when I got to Webelos and up did I realize that scouting was not only about camping and activities; it was also about serving the community and being the best person you can be.

I joined Troop 410 on my tenth birthday: February 23, 2001. At that time, Mr. Bramell was the scoutmaster, and Mike was his Assistant. I advanced in rank very quickly, and soon caught up to the scouts who were 2 to 3 years older than I. I had a plan to become Eagle Scout by the age of 12, but I did not realize how much of a responsibility and an honor it is to be an Eagle then, because to me it was just a game to earn new ranks as fast as possible. Because many ranks require you to hold a position, I started out in leadership early in my second year with the position of Chaplain Aide, and since I was the first Chaplain Aide in a long time to be held accountable for his position, Mike still always asks me to pray on campouts when our Chaplain Aide is not present. I was placed in the leadership patrol and sent me to leadership training, because Mike thought he saw something in me that reflected leadership. When I was kicked out of the leadership patrol because I had not been present for 2 meetings, Mike instated the Instructor position and placed me back in.

I thought I had everything figured out to become an Eagle, but that was before I did my project. I had figured that I would probably end up doing a project where someone told me what they wanted and I put in a bench or table. I had no idea that my project would take nearly 2 years to complete, and involve several hundred hours of work for me and everyone else involved. Since my project dealt with a sensitive subject, I spent so long because I had to make it as perfect as I could.

I am currently ASPL, and I may serve before long as SPL for our troop.

Eagle Project...

For my project, I made several modifications to the playground area at Calvary United Methodist Church in Waldorf. First, I put in two areas containing 65 2x2 pavers. On top of one area, I placed two rolled metal picnic tables, so that parents would have a place to eat and converse while they watch their children on the playground. In the corner of the second area, I placed a 2,000 lb rock engraved with Emily Allard’s name and the dates of her birth and passing. Also on the second area are two granite benches, so people will have a place to sit and enjoy the memorial and the butterfly garden, which was recently planted around the benches. In the opposite corner of the playground that was only grass before the project, I put in a play area covered in gravel with a swing set installed in the center.