For more than a decade, Kyle Helmle has participated in scouting.
From Tiger Cub to Cub Scout to Boy Scout, the Brandon youth amassed a laundry list of accomplishments reflected not only in 19 of 20 badges, but also with an impressive record of hiking adventures including a 90-mile hike around Isle Royale, climbing 9,000 feet to the summit of the Half-Dome in Yosemite National Park, and a week in the New Mexico mountains in mid-July.
So the last thing Helmle, a Brandon senior wanted was a simple Eagle Scout project to conclude a stellar Scout career.
‘I wanted do a significant project that would help the community,? said Helmle, 17. ‘Not just an easy Eagle project to get it over with. I just didn’t want to spend a day out cleaning up trails.?
During the weekend of Oct. 25-26, following approval and funding from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Helmle and Sean Speaker, supervisor of the Holly Recreation Area in Groveland Township, organized the construction of a 25-foot bridge across a water-runoff area in the park. The 6-foot-wide bridge incorporates a gravel approach and rocks for support. The bridge, supported by two used telephone poles and constructed from treated lumber, will now be used by trail bikes, hikers and trail maintenance workers at the park.
‘Scouting is well worth it,? he said. ‘It’s all about motivation, responsibility and how to be a better person.?
Helmle will participate in the Eagle Corps of Honor at Calvary Lutheran Church in Clarkston in January.