As an active member of Boy Scout Troop 529 in Seymour, Carter Murphy knew he would have to come up with a community project and complete it to become an Eagle Scout.
Being an Eagle Scout means achieving the top level of scouting and is an honor reserved for the brightest and most skilled and dedicated scouts.
Having been in cross country since elementary school, Murphy, a sophomore at Seymour High School, decided to incorporate his love of running in his project.
The end result will be a free-standing record board and course markers for middle school runners at the Grassy Fork Trail cross country course at Freeman Field Athletic Complex in Seymour.
The board will list the top local runners for the course and their official times.
“I feel it helps by getting kids into running and showing records they can strive to beat,” Murphy said.
Work on the project consists of designing and installing the sign and the kilometer markers which will let runners know where they are on the course and how far they’ve run.
Since the park is owned and maintained by the city, Murphy brought his idea to the Seymour Parks and Recreation board for approval earlier this month.
Murphy has discussed his project with Seymour High School cross country coach Randy Fife and Seymour Middle School coach Brad Cobb.
“They feel these projects would greatly benefit the cross country program,” Murphy said.
He anticipates spending a total of 10 to 15 hours and needing to raise between $600 and $900 to complete the project.
“It takes quite a bit of work to complete an Eagle Scout project, from all the paperwork to the actual project itself,” he said.
One way he is keeping costs down and getting other students involved is by working with SHS’s Owl Manufacturing program to make the vinyl graphics for the record board. The board will be updated as the records change, Murphy said.
To have course markers for the middle school course made, Murphy turned to Chad Dixon, director of the Seymour Department of Public Works.
Being a parent of cross country runners, parks board member Kathy Hohenstreiter said the project is a wonderful idea.
“I think the kids will really enjoy that, knowing in the course where they’re at,” she said.
Parks director Stacy Findley said she loves to see youth take an interest in the parks and in coming up with ways to make them better.
With the approval of the parks board, Carter plans to install the record board in early 2021 near the shelter house when you first enter the park.
Although the signage doesn’t benefit him directly, Murphy said he is still getting a lot out of the experience.
“It’s important to me so that I can help out the community and get a feeling of accomplishment for the countless hours of dedication I’ve put into the scouting program,” he said.
Murphy started scouts when he was in first grade and said he stuck with it because he liked the community involvement.
“And I’ve made a lot of great friends over the years,” he said.
Earning his Eagle Scout rank is a goal he is looking forward to reaching.
“When I get the rank, it will be a feeling of accomplishment because of all the hard work I’ve put in,” he said.