Omran spruces up the trail to earn Eagle Scout merit
Braheim Omran’s Eagle Scout project began with the selling of peanuts and culminated in a beautiful landscaping project that welcomes those using the bridge near Crissy Memorial Pool to Holmes County Rails to Trails.
Braheim Omran was nuts about doing his Eagle Scout project.
At least he used nuts as the financial focal point to raise funds that allowed him to purchase items that he then turned into a beautiful landscaping project at the east side of the Holmes County Rails to Trails bridge near the Crissy Memorial Pool on the west end of Millersburg.
Omran sold Texas Roadhouse peanuts at last year’s Berlin Harvest Fest to raise his funds, and his Eagle Scout project took wings from there as he enjoyed the help of some volunteers that included his Troop 355 Holmesville scout mates to add a picturesque landscaping area where the path leads off the trail to the bridge near Hipp Station.
To show his appreciation for the other scouts lending a helping hand, Omran purchased pizza from Main Street Pizza as a way to say thanks.
The idea to spruce up the path leading to the bridge came about when Omran felt drawn to add some beauty to what he felt was already a beautiful piece of architecture.
“I saw this beautiful bridge, and I thought, ‘what would make this bridge really shine is if we put some nice landscaping in,’” Omran said.
The process of earning an Eagle Scout honor is not an easy one. It requires a ton of background work, preparation, organization and hard work. A scout must exemplify leadership skills in creating his or her own project plan and it is up to them to put in all the work necessary to bring that plan to life.
Omran said the initial step involved connecting with his scout advisor to explain his Eagle Scout project idea. Once that was in place, he drew up the plans, purchased the material and connected with a number of area businesses which were willing to give him a good deal or even donate some material.
Those businesses included Holmes Rental, Feikert Sand & Gravel, Berlin Seed, Fredericksburg Greenhouse, I & M Excavating and Yoder Greenhouse, which all played roles in providing Omran with the materials necessary to complete his task and earn his Eagle Scout merit.
On June 26, Omran, his fellow scouts and several other adults met at the landscaping plot and began moving dirt and preparing the area. The landscaping itself included a Japanese Maple on each side of the walkway, day lilies, large rocks and pea gravel to top it off.
With the lighting that Millersburg Electric installed earlier this year, it should provide a bright and beautiful walkway for those who use the trail.
“My mom walks on this trail every day, so this is for her,” Omran said with a laugh.
The levels that need to be achieved before going after the honor of Eagle Scout include Life, Star and Second Class, and Omran has been steadily working toward this, one of scouting’s major achievements.
For Omran, the experience was a good one and he valued the idea that it helped him grow in his leadership and organizational skills.
“I liked this because I got to better the community by doing something positive and working hard to achieve a goal,” Omran said. “I was excited to see it finally get done.”
In order to receive an Eagle Scout honor, scouts must earn 21 merit badges, 13 of which are required badges. Scouts must also have completed a community service project to qualify, and according to recent statistics, just under five percent of Boy Scouts receive their Eagle Scout merit.