Ben Pasch, center, with help from fellow members of Plainfield Boy Scouts Troop #13, Danny Riggs, left, David Lordan, Joey Bajner and Scott Pasch, completed work on new planter boxes to earn the rank of Eagle Scout. submitted photo
On his day off from school, and with only a month left before he turns 18, Plainfield North High School senior, Ben Pasch, completed the work required to earn the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank bestowed by the Boy Scouts.
Pasch enlisted three friends from Plainfield Troop #13 as well as his younger brother and sister to assist with the installation of three new ADA-compliant planting boxes in front of the Plainfield Township Community Center, 15014 S. Des Plaines St.
Eagle Scout projects must be completed before a Scout turns 18, which made his mom, Ellen, nervous she said.
“That’s just how I do it,” said Ben of his down-to-the wire timing. He said he found plans for the boxes by doing a Google search.
Eagle Scout project requirements state that it must benefit a non-profit organization other than the Boy Scouts.
Ben’s new 3 ½-foot tall by 8-foot planters now sit alongside three similar boxes that his older brother, Jason, completed for his Eagle Scout project two years ago, and installed on the same day, April 27, 2016, said Ellen.
Park District Division Manager Paul Crisman said that he’s worked with a number of scouts over the years to develop Eagle Scout projects that could enhance some of the park space and facilities in the Park District. Those include benches, a butterfly garden, a tree identification trail at Van Horn Woods, as well as houses for birds, ducks and even bats. He said that the original Frisbee golf course at Avery Preserve was also initiated as an Eagle Scout project.
“I’ve worked on a lot of them over the years,” said Crisman adding that all of the projects “help improve the parks in some way and offer a lasting contribution to the community.”
Crisman said that he usually starts by asking the Scout what kind of project he is interested in completing. He said that in Ben’s case, he knew that there was more space along the front of the community center where his brother’s project was installed.
The location of the new planter boxes, he said, will also provide an opportunity for some of the active seniors and participants in the Lily Cache Special Recreation Association (LCSRA) who attend programming at the community center to maintain the herb and flower beds and help with the weeding and watering during the summer months.