Mt Laurel resident Bryan Bethke was honored at Mt. Laurel Township Council’s Sept. 12 meeting for attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. Pictured is Bethke receiving a proclamation from Mayor Linda Bobo.[/caption]
Mt Laurel resident Bryan Bethke loves the outdoors.
Having spent more than a decade of his life as a member of the Boy Scouts of America, Bethke, 17, said one of his favorite parts of Scouting has always been getting the chance to go camping and enjoy nature.
So when it came time for Bethke to choose a service project through which he could give back to his community and attain the rank of Eagle Scout, Bethke was more than happy to spend his time at Mt. Laurel State Park.
As the smallest state park in New Jersey, Mt. Laurel State Park is located entirely between Mt. Laurel Road and Elbo Lane. The park mostly contains the 164-foot, 10-acre mount for which Mt. Laurel may be partially named.
Mt. Laurel folklore says that during the Revolutionary War, the mount even had a tower that faced toward the Delaware River where lookouts could see if British ships were sailing.
Through coordinating with state park officials, Bethke was able to use a GPS to map several hiking trails throughout the park, construct three benches along the trails, and clear and mark an older trail to make it usable once more.
Unlike many Eagle Scout projects where the physical work involved can last days or even weeks, Bethke said he was able to complete his project in just one weekend’s time last October.
However, Bethke said the real challenge of his project was the paperwork involved in dealing with several agencies to get permission for the project and trying to coordinate the other Scouts and groups who helped him with the work itself.
“I would say it definitely taught me how to lead groups of people whenever you’re not the professional and need to ask questions,” Bethke said.
Bethke said it’s a good feeling to know he’s finally become an Eagle Scout, which was something he had dreamed about for years.
“Every time I met someone who has become an Eagle Scout, they always say it was one of the things they were most proud of in their life. I’ve heard of people who 20 or 30 years later still put Eagle Scout on their resumes,” Bethke said.
Mt. Laurel Township Council also took notice of Bethke’s efforts, and recently honored him with a proclamation commending him on becoming an Eagle Scout and thanking him for his service to the town.
“Not too many people know about this little hidden gem in Mt. Laurel … so we really appreciate your efforts and your support,” Mayor Linda Bobo said at Council’s Sept. 12 meeting.
Bethke said he plans to go to college and major in finance, and he’s also going to continue his involvement with Scouting, as he’s undergoing the process to become an assistant Scoutmaster.
“I like seeing the younger Scouts developing throughout the years and helping them out,” Bethke said.
