Grapeland Eagle Scout Seeks Help to Install Benches in City Park
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
GRAPELAND – Sixteen-year-old Brayden Barron has spent most of his life in scouting, from his first days as a Tiger Cub to his current pursuit of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Boy Scouts. Now, the Grapeland High School junior is working on a project he hopes will leave a lasting mark on his hometown.
At Grapeland City Park, Barron noticed something was missing.
“At the city park, I noticed that they had concrete around the parameters of the park as a walking path,” he said. “But there’s only one bench out there currently, and that’s a pretty good length of a walking path — I’d have to say at least half a mile. I’ve seen some older people walk around the track and there’s not anywhere to sit down or take a break. Or if somebody just wants to go hang out out there, there’s not really a place to do that. And I wanted to change that.”
Barron’s Eagle Scout project is raising money to install three new benches at the park, each set in concrete slabs and accompanied by improvements such as trash cans or even new plants.
Grapeland City Council has already endorsed his idea.
“They were actually getting ready to start planning to put benches in themselves,” he said. “And I just happened to catch them at the right time. They said, ‘Sounds great. We’ll get you in touch with the right people.’”
The benches will be available for sponsorship, and donors can add a personal inscription.
“For the individuals who choose to purchase a bench, or donate the money to get a bench made, they get a personalized inscription into the actual boards,” Barron explained. “Then on the benches, there will be small brass plates with my name and stating that it was my Eagle Scout project, so that it’s not just something that was done, it’s something that builds a lasting legacy on the place.”
The cost to sponsor an entire bench is a little over $800, though Barron emphasizes that any donation is helpful. “If you just want to donate to the direct cause of the bench itself, all benefits help — materials, labor, even food for the volunteers who come out,” he said. “Whatever money we have left over, it will all be donated directly to the troop, so it can go to their benefit. All of the money is going for a good cause.”
Barron said he has already raised enough money for one bench and is now working toward the other two. He said he is motivated not only by the project itself, but by the significance of earning his Eagle rank.
“What’s kept me so busy with it is knowing what can come after being an Eagle Scout,” he said. “The countless scholarships and opportunities and doors that being an Eagle Scout opens. And not only just the opportunities after, but getting to share my knowledge with younger peers in the troop, and just the awesome memories that we’ve had on the many campouts and trips.”
Outside of scouting, Barron said his school year is going smoothly. “As of now, I would beg to differ on the fact that junior year is the hardest,” he said with a smile. “I believe my sophomore year was the hardest. This year, I have six classes and three dual-credit classes, and so far it’s been pretty easy.”
Looking ahead, Barron imagines returning to Grapeland City Park years from now and pointing to the benches he helped install.
“If I’m out there with some friends or family, I can say that’s something I did so many years ago to get my Eagle Scout project,” he said. “Just the fact of saying I was able to get it done means a lot.”
He hopes his project shows how a small effort can make a big difference. “It’ll be pretty cool to see that I was able to follow through with that,” he said.
Those wishing to support Barron’s project may contact him at 936-204-4915.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
