Newtown Scout Earns Eagle Rank

By Restoring Fire Hydrants

By Dani Villa

Fire hydrants are generally an underappreciated part of society; without a second thought, we drive by, walk past, and, generally, ignore them. But Newtown resident and Sea Scout Tom Mascher took notice of them. In order to achieve his Eagle Award, Tom chose to restore and beautify local fire hydrants.

“So far, I’ve taken care of 34 hydrants, and I want to paint about 30 more,” said Tom. “First we clean the grass and dirt off of each hydrant. Then, using wire brushes, we get the rust off. Finally, we spray paint it.”

The Eagle Project requires at least 100 hours of planning and execution. Tom has put in about 80–90 hours so far, he said.

Though he only began carrying out his plan a couple weekends ago, Tom has been preparing for his project for months. He met with First Selectman Pat Llodra and Fire Marshal Bill Halstead; the approval of both was vital to the venture. Then he began gathering donations and volunteers.

“For the Eagle Project, you can take two routes: to help out with someone else’s project or to be the coordinator of another. I chose to be the coordinator. I got about ten people and split them into groups, each with an adult or parent supervisor. Before the groups went out to fix the fire hydrants, my father and I had already gone and marked out the approved hydrants,” said Tom.

Tom said he gained many life skills from taking part in the project, from learning how to administer tasks to figuring out how to manage such a large endeavor.

“This was a great learning opportunity,” he said. “Plus, a lot of good comes from it and the whole community is improved. It was a lot of work; making sure every part was completed, divvying out tasks. But I chose to do this to show that I could stand out above other people, to show that I have leadership skills. And it looked great for a college resume.”

This fall, Tom will be a freshman at the Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, where he will be studying marine transportation operation, a program that has students spend 600 hours on ship over the course of four years. First- and third-year students studying marine transportation operation are required to gain experience on training cruises for at least 60 days.

“I’m working toward getting an unlimited license from the Coast Guard,” he said. “With that, I can drive anything, from the huge ships that import and export goods to cruise liners.”

Tom says that he was motivated to take part in the program by his love of the water.

“I’m a hands-on person. I’ve worked with cars, engines. The [program] is perfect for me. I didn’t want to be stuck behind a desk all day,” he said.

Tom’s passion for the water was also cultivated through the Sea Scouts, the organization through which he worked on his Eagle Project. It is a special department of the Boy Scouts of America. The Sea Scouts are water-focused; they sail, take part in races, and focus their learning on nautical subjects, like knots, boat parts and seamanship.