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LAUREL - Service, care, concern, and a sense of pride for the community of Laurel.
These are what inspired Laurel-Concord- Coleridge High School senior Caleb Erwin to take on an Eagle Scout Project at the Laurel City Park.
The Boy Scout Troop 208 member chose the park for his project because he wanted a nice place where his younger sister Emily and other children could play.
Caleb Erwin organized a group of volunteers to help him paint some playground equipment and clean up the Laurel City Park. (top) Hunter Benson, Luke Erwin, and Anderson Hall work to paint the merry-go-round. (above) Izzy Erwin and Kayton Hall put the final touches on their work of painting a swing set at the park.
He got the idea while driving around Laurel and “looking around town for something that needed work and it definitely looked like this park needed work,” he said. “It was pretty run down…. Its just nice to have things that are nice for the kids.”
It took about two days of prep for the Eagle Scout project and another two days to complete the project, he said.
He has been very involved in Scouts over the years. He was a part of many camps and scout meetings in addition to this project.
He earned 30 merit badges, 14 of which were required for his Eagle badge. He was involved in many community service projects as a part of his troop in addition to this one.
Erwin said his favorite part of being a Boy Scout is the friendships and experiences he has made.
Another memorable event was going on the High Adventure trip to the Black Hills in 2021 where they rode their bikes over 100 miles on the George Mickelson Trail.
Being a scout also has equipped him with immense leadership skills and survival skills.
He utilized his leadership skills as he worked with the City of Laurel to coordinate and complete this project.
His work included putting together a group of over 15 friends, family members, current scouts, and former scouts to help him work on this project.
This was no small feat as the playground equipment had to be repainted, the gravel had to be spread, sticks and branches had to be picked up, and trash had to be removed to make the Laurel City Park shine.
This time commitment was a big deal for Caleb as he is heavily involved in football, basketball, golf, and Skills USA teams at school. He also works for Todd Erwin.
Being a Scout is in his blood as his dad, uncle, and older brother were all involved with Boy Scouts. He and his older brother were in Troop 208 together. As the second oldest of four siblings, he chose to follow in his older brother’s footsteps.
He plans on helping out with Boy Scouts if he has a son in the future that wants to do it, passing on the family legacy of being a Boy Scout.
Caleb Erwin recently participated in a Court of Honor ceremony along with Michelle Carlson (Winside), Michelle Mark (Wayne), Pat Sukup (Norfolk), and Gene Barg (Winside).
