Carson Gilbert to become an Eagle Scout
From left, Lamar Gilbert (Carson's grandfather), Carson Gilbert, John Murphy and UDel Taylor (Carson's grandfather) work on the wiring that will bring power to the lights and sliding gate at the entrance.
ROYAL CITY — Carson Gilbert has been involved in scouting since he turned eight years old and joined Cub Scouts. Tomorrow he will be an Eagle Scout, attaining the highest rank possible in scouting.
Gilbert’s Eagle Scout Court of Honor will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the Royal Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Royal Camp at 7 p.m.
The master of ceremonies will be Bishop Daren Christensen. After the invocation by UDel Taylor and an opening ceremony by the Scouts from Troop 87, Roger Durkee of Othello, district representative for Boys Scouts of America, will formally open the court of honor.
Nicolas Anderson will review Gilbert’s scouting history. Mark Christensen and Shawn Gilbert will address the Trail to Eagle.
Then Bishop Christensen will introduce Gilbert. After Gilbert makes his personal statement, he will be presented the Eagle Award by Troop 87 Scoutmaster Dane Christensen.
Gilbert’s Eagle Project was the building of a new entrance to the Royal Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Working with the cemetery board, particularly John Murphy, Gilbert helped plan and construct the entrance.
“This was a difficult but very rewarding experience, and I couldn’t have done it without a lot of support and help,” Gilbert said. “I know that I have learned things in scouting, and by doing this project, that have helped me to become a better person and will benefit me throughout my life.”
Throughout the years, Gilbert has learned a great deal through scouting, particularly citizenship and the importance of giving back to the community.
Gilbert’s Eagle Project required more than 390 combined hours of service from 20 volunteers. The initial planning of the project began about two years ago, after an unexpected conversation between Murphy and Carson’s father, Kyle Gilbert.
The cemetery board was planning a project, and Carson was looking for an Eagle Project. These two men came to the conclusion that if they teamed up, they could help each other accomplish both of their goals.
A lot more goes into a project like this than meets the eye. Gilbert appreciates all he learned from working with Murphy and all who volunteered their time to make this project a success.
“On one of the hottest working days this summer,” Gilbert’s mother, TyRee Gilbert, recounted, “Judy (Janett) Davis stopped and brought us ice cream bars and told us we were doing a great job. That really meant a lot.”
Then, on another particularly difficult day, the Gilberts went to Callahan’s Manufacturing to ask if the Callahans could fabricate a part that was needed. Not only was Dean Callahan willing, but he donated the steel and the time it would take to make it exactly how and when it was needed.
“Things like this gave us such a boost,” Tyree said.
For a kid who had just turned 16, this project seemed pretty daunting but, little by little, phone calls were made, and the pieces started fitting together. The first phase of the project was building the brick pillars at the entrance of the cemetery.
Western Materials of Pasco gave a substantial discount on the brick that was needed to begin. Then Lynn Christensen, who was crucial to this phase, did all the brickwork.
Next, a trench was dug to run power and water lines from the top of the cemetery, down the hill, to the entrance. The power will be used to run the automatic gate, which is now being built and will soon be installed, as well as lights on the front of the pillars.
Desert Rain gave helpful advice and a discount on the irrigation supplies needed. The water line will be tapped into when the cemetery is expanded in the future.
There was a need for some precise excavation in order to prepare the ground for the cement pad that is now the entrance to the cemetery and will be a smooth surface for the sliding gate to run on. Gilbert’s fellow scouts, leaders and family helped with this.
“We really do live in an awesome community,” Tyree said.
Building the forms for the concrete was another big job. Everything had to be level and according to the specs given by the builder of the gate, Classic Welding of Yakima.
Ferguson Concrete was another generous supporter of this project. They gave valuable advice, as well as providing their crew, at no cost, to do the finish work on the concrete pad at the entrance of the cemetery.