Getting his Eagle early

Getting his Eagle early

Published 11:48am Thursday, January 2, 2014

Fifteen-year-old Isaac Nadgwick could breathe a sigh of relief Sept. 24, 2013. That was the day of his Eagle Scout ceremony.

The Fergus Falls High School sophomore has been involved with Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts for a decade, and he achieved the highest rank you can get, after completing a landscaping project this summer at Inspiration Point Christian Camp and Retreat Center in Clitherall.

“It felt so good to finally get it done and not have the pressure anymore,” Nadgwick said. “I was done.”

Scouts spend time earning merit badges and moving up through the ranks. But in order to achieve Eagle Scout, a lad has to lead a service project.

“That’s what makes the achievement different than the other things,” Nadgwick said.

He had a few other project ideas in mind last year at this time, but when he heard Inspiration Point (a camp he’s attended) received some land and was looking for someone to landscape around a welcome sign, he knew this was the task for him.

“It would be one that benefitted everybody in the future,” he said.

Nadgwick planned out the project, got donated materials from businesses and was the leader through everything. When it came time for the project day itself, Nadgwick didn’t just do all the work himself either.

“That’s not really what a leader does at all,” he said.

It was a combination of work and delegation.

He wrangled up fellow scouts and adult scout leaders to help; 15 of them spent five hours completing the landscaping work around the sign in July. They dug around the installed sign, put in brick bullets, sprinkled wood chips and planted flowers and shrubs.

Nadgwick spent a grand total of 62 hours on the project from the planning stages until the end. Then it just needed a few reviews and approvals before he was an official Eagle Scout. The project taught him about leadership and to avoid procrastination, he said.

“It taught me a lot about what leader needs to be and what they need to do,” he said.

Scouts have a window between their 14th and 18th birthdays to reach the Eagle Scout rank. Nadgwick has seen a lot of boys put off the big project, some even until the day before they turn 18. It’s pretty typical for many to wait, he added.

“I’ve seen four people get Eagle Scout, and all four of them waited until they were almost 18,” he said.

Nadgwick didn’t want that to be him; he was the first one of his age group to reach Eagle Scout.

“During the project, I’d have to say I was finally coming to the realization that this was possible,” Nadgwick said. “When I turned 15 last year, I realized I needed to get it done now. I realized that this was actually attainable.”

With his project behind him, the Eagle Scout will continue collecting merit badges (he already has 41) and work to earn Eagle Palm Pins. Without the pressure of his project, he is also available to help others try to achieve the same high ranking.

“It felt really good to have that experience done and then be able to help other people get that experience,” Nadgwick said.