Alan Carey of Troop 99 stands on the bridge he built in Newtown Grant

 

Building a Bridge to Eagle

In choosing an Eagle Scout project, Alan Carey stayed close to home. Frustrated that Newtown Grant's nature trails could not be easily reached from the community itself because of the Newtown Creek, Alan set about building a bridge. His parents, Scott Carey and Dorothy Braun of Newtown, say Alan has been talking about the need for a way to cross the creek since his days as a Cub Scout playing in the woods. Getting over the creek required a lot of persistence on Alan's part according to Dan Faust, who served as the engineering consultant for the project. Dan notes, "Alan was very organized and persistent in getting this project completed. He did a heck of a job." After selecting a site with his Assistant Scoutmaster Ken Brask, Alan presented his proposal for the bridge to Bill McManimon and the rest of the Newtown Grant Homeowners Board in spring of 2007. He was given unanimous approval to move forward with the project. From there he obtained approvals and the necessary permits from Newtown Township, the PA DEP, FEMA, as well as the BSA Bucks County Council to begin the project. "Alan's Eagle project was one of those projects where the boys get to see what the real world is like," said his Scoutmaster Tom Lawton. "Not everything is laid out for you. Not everything works the way you think things should. Alan experienced numerous delays as he sought the official permits and approvals necessary for this bridge. Although everyone agreed this was a good idea, the area is considered wetland and any sort of bridge in a public area, and especially a wetland, is scrutinized closely. But Alan persisted through many months of delays and was rewarded in the end with a full set of green lights. This part of the process, dealing with real people, in the real world, learning what they need, and accomplishing your goals, are as important a part of any Eagle project as the actual execution of the project." Alan designed the bridge with advice from Faust and Mike Varian, who was the project's construction consultant. The final bridge design is a 20-foot timber structure with ramps at both ends and handrails on both sides. The bridge was constructed last December with help of many of the scouts and parent volunteers from Newtown's Troop 99 and Venture Crew 99 as well as family and friends. Over 450 hours were donated to plan and construct the bridge. Scouting has offered Alan a chance to travel to Canada's Northern Tier High Adventure Base and Haliburton Scout Reservation, as well as National Scout Jamboree 2005 at Fort AP Hill. This summer he has plans to spend two weeks at the Philmont Scout Ranch and attend an OA Conclave in Puerto Rico. Alan was honored at an Eagle Court of Honor earlier this month in recognition of his achievement in earning the highest rank in scouting. The invitations to this event featured a favorite quotation from Theodore Roosevelt, "Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." Lawton feels Alan's Eagle project truly summed up his career in Scouting, where he has been a persistent and dogged Scout. Alan has served in many of the troop leadership positions and is currently a Junior Assistant Scoutmaster. He is also a Brother in the Order of the Arrow, the Boy Scout Honor Society. A junior at Council Rock North High School, Alan is a member of the National Honor Society and performs in the snare line as a member of the marching band.