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Louis Holt and his assistants poured the sidewalk in May for an elderly neighbor. |
In order to accomplish the project, Holt enlisted the help of Davey Hett, a local contractor, who offered his expertise on building concrete forms and providing necessary equipment.
?Davey donated gravel rock and forms, making my job a lot easier,? Holt said.
Holt also was able to incorporate the city of Marion?s concrete program into his project by doing all the preparation labor. In turn, the city paid for the concrete.
The sidewalk measured 101 feet, but Holt included 39 more feet of concrete from his neighbor?s porch to the street.
?Coming up with the plan, the actual work and cleanup took a total of 204 man hours,? he said. ?We started at 7:15 a.m. Saturday, May 2, and it wasn?t until late that evening we finished up.?
Part of the problem was that the weather wasn?t cooperating.
?Every time we would be smoothing out the concrete, it would start raining,? Holt said. ?We would have to cover the concrete and then wait for the rain to stop before going back to it.?
Even with the delays, the project met with everyone?s satisfaction, he said.
Along with Hett, Holt received assistance from Lucas King, high school construction teacher, Don Mollecker, math and physics teacher; Brice Goebel, who helped pour and set up the concrete; and David Richmond, his scout master.
?Without all these people helping me, I couldn?t have done this,? Holt said.
Attaining the rank of Eagle Scout was the culmination of more than a decade of effort, which he started as a Cub Scout when he was in first grade.
During his years in scouting, Holt said he has earned merit badges, written papers, handled personal finances and more to bring him closer to a leadership role as he nears adulthood.
?Scouting has taught me about life experiences, leadership, the importance of being responsible for my actions and more,? he said.
After graduating from MHS at semester, Holt said he will be joining the Kansas Air National Guard intelligence wing at McConnell Air Force Base, Wichita.
His job, imagery analyst, will require a top-secret clearance. He will be in basic training for eight and a half weeks, followed by 24 weeks of technical training in his field.
?I will then spend about three months active duty at McConnell and then one weekend a month for the next six years with the Air National Guard,? he said.
Once Holt completes his training and his active-duty commitment, Holt said he plans to attend Kansas State Univer?sity in the Reserve Officers Training Corps.
In addition to scouting, Holt has been involved in K Club, Future Business Leaders of America, FFA, National Honor Society, Boys? State, cross country and track, and served as a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters.
He also is a member of the Holy Family Catholic Church.
?I want to thank my family for their support because it took them and everyone involved to make this possible,? he said.
