Boy Scout Eagle Project (Leadership)

   I started planning over a year out for Heroes Night 2022. I had originally planned this event for 09/11/2021, it was to coincide with the 20th anniversary of 09/11/2001. Unfortunately, due to COVID restrictions from our county the event had to be canceled. So, when I started planning for 2022, I prepared for contingencies, which helped me immensely. Heroes Night 2022 was planned to occur on 09/08/2022, and then the Mosquito wildfire broke out in our area. All of the agencies attending and all of the men and women we were going to honor as heroes were off doing their jobs and keeping our community safe. This phase was by far the most time consuming and difficult phase but thankfully my experience in Scouting has taught me to always be prepared. Although I was frustrated by the postponement again, I knew it would finally come together and be successful. 

  The importance of a detailed safety plan cannot be over emphasized. I had to work with the agencies involved along with my school’s administration and the Superintendent while balancing my desire to make a big impact on our community and ensuring everyone’s safety concerns. Having helicopters flyover presented a challenge and having one of them deliver a game ball on the 50-yard line really raised concerns. This required a lot of planning between the two agencies,  the pilots, the hoist operator, and the deputy executing the mission. A site inspection by both aircraft was scheduled and the results ultimately led to the mission being a go! There were other law enforcement safety concerns with the large number of people projected to attend. We needed to have contingencies in place and developed an extensive plan to account for all such events. 

  Here is where my leadership was really put to the test! I had to delegate, be flexible, calm, and overcome the constant challenges! I have learned in Scouts and my other leadership positions that while delegating is not always easy it is essential to success. This event was challenging because I had to delegate to my fellow scouts, fellow students, school administration and adults from the agencies participating. I had to speak with authority and let them all know my vision so they could help me execute. That is a lesson that I will never forget.  Once all the dust settled, I gathered all my notes and prepared a After Action Report (AAR). This will help the next person identify what worked and didn't so they make next year’s Heroes Night even better.