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Scout tends to fire-damaged structure
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| Jeffrey Zeller stands on the bridge he rebuilt at Big Morongo Canyon Preserve as part of his Eagle Scout requirements. Zeller had to identify the bridge as a needed project, plan its design and supervise the actual construction. |
By Mark Wheeler / Hi-Desert Star
Perhaps it isn’t obvious at first what eagles and bridges have in common. However, if the bridge is one along the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve trail system and was one of the many structures damaged by Morongo Valley’s 2005 Paradise fire, and instead of being an actual bird the eagle is understood to be a symbol for achievement, the connection makes perfect sense, or at least it does to 15-year-old Jeffrey Zeller.
Zeller is a member of Boy Scout Troop 903 and is working hard to earn his Eagle Scout rank before leaving with his family in June for temporary residence in Germany.
He considers the rank to be a great honor, and has adopted the discipline and desire for achievement he believes is necessary to succeed.
Besides earning a total of 21 merit badges, all Eagle Scout hopefuls must demonstrate a number of different personal and applied skills. They accomplish this in the form of an Eagle Scout project. Zeller’s choice of the bridge for a project derived from his interest in engineering and from his desire to do something that would have a community-wide effect.
Among the Eagle project challenges is the independent identification of a suitable project by the aspiring candidate. Zeller spotted the bridge while on a walk at the preserve, and upon closer inspection of the span’s underside, he discovered fire damage there that would eventually compromise the structure’s stability.
Contacting the preserve’s administrative agency, the Bureau of Land Management office in Palm Springs, Zeller secured permission to replace the bridge.
He was introduced to preserve docent and retired engineer Frank Curry, who served as his supervisory counterpart during the project.
According to his own records, it took Zeller about 72 hours over a two-month period to design and plan the project. Actual construction took 18 hours over two days to complete.
His cost-benefit analysis of the project proved his work saved the preserve between $1,000 and $2,000 in labor and engineering costs.
Altogether, Zeller recruited six scouts and four dads to supply the labor. Acting as supervisor, he coordinated their efforts over the two days and reports that the scouts took direction better than the dads did.
Notwithstanding the older workers’ tendency toward independence, Zeller highly commended them for their enthusiastic support, and also for the many practical and helpful suggestions they made along the way.
In identification, planning and construction of the project, Zeller had to demonstrate initiative, problem-solving and leadership. These are all attributes he believes will be absolutely necessary to realize his career goal of being an Air Force surgeon or engineer.
Currently a freshman at Joshua Springs High School, which sponsors Troop 903, Zeller is a history buff, interested especially in World War II America and in ancient China.
He needs five more merit badges to achieve the total 21 required for the Eagle rank.
Zeller is a member of Boy Scout Troop 903 and is working hard to earn his Eagle Scout rank before leaving with his family in June for temporary residence in Germany.
He considers the rank to be a great honor, and has adopted the discipline and desire for achievement he believes is necessary to succeed.
Besides earning a total of 21 merit badges, all Eagle Scout hopefuls must demonstrate a number of different personal and applied skills. They accomplish this in the form of an Eagle Scout project. Zeller’s choice of the bridge for a project derived from his interest in engineering and from his desire to do something that would have a community-wide effect.
Among the Eagle project challenges is the independent identification of a suitable project by the aspiring candidate. Zeller spotted the bridge while on a walk at the preserve, and upon closer inspection of the span’s underside, he discovered fire damage there that would eventually compromise the structure’s stability.
Contacting the preserve’s administrative agency, the Bureau of Land Management office in Palm Springs, Zeller secured permission to replace the bridge.
He was introduced to preserve docent and retired engineer Frank Curry, who served as his supervisory counterpart during the project.
According to his own records, it took Zeller about 72 hours over a two-month period to design and plan the project. Actual construction took 18 hours over two days to complete.
His cost-benefit analysis of the project proved his work saved the preserve between $1,000 and $2,000 in labor and engineering costs.
Altogether, Zeller recruited six scouts and four dads to supply the labor. Acting as supervisor, he coordinated their efforts over the two days and reports that the scouts took direction better than the dads did.
Notwithstanding the older workers’ tendency toward independence, Zeller highly commended them for their enthusiastic support, and also for the many practical and helpful suggestions they made along the way.
In identification, planning and construction of the project, Zeller had to demonstrate initiative, problem-solving and leadership. These are all attributes he believes will be absolutely necessary to realize his career goal of being an Air Force surgeon or engineer.
Currently a freshman at Joshua Springs High School, which sponsors Troop 903, Zeller is a history buff, interested especially in World War II America and in ancient China.
He needs five more merit badges to achieve the total 21 required for the Eagle rank.
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| A dialogue in heat and stone: Don Carlos Andrade |
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