Story by David Karas | Correspondent
The rank of Eagle Scout – the highest and most cherished among those involved in the Boy Scouts of America – is said to be granted to fewer than 2 percent of Scouts.
The Diocese of Trenton is home to a number of these distinguished young men, as well as two Eagle Scout candidates who have chosen to dedicate their required service project to enriching faith in their local communities.
Nick Bsales, a member of St. Isaac Jogues Parish, Marlton, has successfully earned the rank of Eagle Scout and is preparing for his Court of Honor on Sept. 24. His project involved creating a stone and brick labyrinth at DeMasi Elementary and Middle Schools, Marlton.
“The labyrinth is a meditative pathway that is used to relax and calm down as you walk along the path,” said Bsales, 16, a junior in Cherokee High School, Marlton. “It is like a walking trail, but it is really compact.”
The idea was inspired by a regular speaker who addresses students at the school – alumnus Bsales being among them – about technology dependence and meditation. The speaker had also suggested that the school consider constructing a labyrinth.
Bsales, a member of Marlton-based Troop 14, planned and oversaw the construction of the campus’s very own 40-foot wide labyrinth, nested in a grassy area near the parking lot.
“It is a really great elementary and middle school, and it was really nice there,” said Bsales when talking about his motivation to support his former schools through his efforts. “It was a way to give back, and it is something they really needed.”
Since he completed the project, the space has drawn everyone from students, to teachers, to participants in the nearby summer Vacation Bible School – for reflection, meditation and prayer. The school’s principal is also encouraging teachers to work the labyrinth into curricula as well.
The young man’s faith has also intersected with Scouting through his work toward his Ad Altare Dei Award, which is designed to help Scouts grow spiritually and to enrich their relationship with God and the Church.
Faith, Bsales said, has always been something he has relied on.
“It really helps me get through a lot of things,” he said.
Planting Seeds of Faith, Service
Across the Diocese, another Eagle Scout candidate is in the planning stages of his own project.
Nicholas Ehring, 16, is a junior at Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, and the senior patrol leader in Hamilton-based Troop 91.
For his Eagle Scout project, the candidate has pledged to construct a community garden for his home parish of St. Gregory the Great, Hamilton Square – which is also home to his alma mater, St. Gregory the Great Academy.
“My church is very important to me,” he said. “And I feel like it is really good to give back to that, to something that has had such a great impact on my life.”
He said his parish was interested in a community garden, and he was happy to make the connection to his Eagle Scout project.
The garden Ehring has planned will consist of 10 raised cedar garden beds and a 7-foot deer fence and entry gate surrounding the space. The produce from the garden will be used to help those in the local community, supporting the Year of Mercy Food Pantry Initiative along with St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish, Hamilton.
His former elementary school will also use the garden for educational purposes, and residents from the local Visitation Home program for those with developmental disabilities will be able to visit and learn about gardening.
Ehring is in the process of raising funds to finance the project and is selling dedication and memorial plaques to be featured in the garden. He expects construction to take a couple of months.
In a recent interview, he reflected on the role faith plays in his life.
“My faith guides me in life, and I feel like it led me to do this project,” he said. “Faith gives me a purpose, and my faith has brought me to meet many people and do many things, and most of all, be able to love God and love life.”