As he witnessed the all-too-familiar sight of parishioners struggling to make their way up the stone walkway and into the sanctuary of their church one Sunday morning, Scout Todd A. knew something must be done.

“I’ve seen people actually fall on the walkway,” Todd said. “And I was, like, ‘Someone should do something about this.’”

It turned out that “someone” was Eagle Scout hopeful Todd. The news site 27east.com shared the story of how he turned the refurbishing of the stone walkway into his Eagle Scout project.

Originally installed when the church was built, the walkway had become very uneven over the past several decades. The uneven walkway made it dangerous and difficult for some parishioners – especially those in wheelchairs or with other disabilities – to navigate.

To remove and replace the uneven stones of the original walkway, Todd recruited and worked with a crew. Some of the original stones weighed more than 1,000 pounds, which required the use of heavy machinery to remove them. Todd was able to get a local company to help with the removal, and his crew worked for a period of three months on various sections of the walkway, including building a ramp and laying 200 ft. of concrete that stretched from the church parking lot to the entrance.

It was not an easy process, but, as is the case with many Eagle Scout projects, part of the value in completing the project was in overcoming some of the unexpected challenges that arose during the process.

“There were more [issues] than you could possibly count,” Todd said. “I learned a lot about leadership. I thought I knew a lot about leadership, but this took it to an entirely new level.”

To read about all of the challenges that Todd faced and overcame, be sure to read the full story on 27east.com.

To learn more about how Eagle Scouts regularly find ways to improve their communities, see the Baylor University Study, “Eagle Scouts: Merit Beyond the Badge.”