Andrew Nicholls knew he wanted his Eagle Scout project to be long-lasting, something he could visit in 40 years.
He also knew he wanted to do something honoring the military, which he is interested in joining. Of those two interests, Nicholls, 17, of Bow, has created a memorial for veterans at Evan Cemetery, which will be dedicated with a ceremony today at 11 a.m.
The idea came to Nicholls when he learned of the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery, located in Boscawen. When he discovered that his town did not have a memorial, he decided to make one.
The design is simple: a round brick and cement patio, flanked by five posts, each engraved with a seal representing one of the United States’s military branches. The bricks were Nicholls’s main method of fundraising: for $50, people could get a name engraved. He managed to sell 118 and with additional donations raised $5,630 for the project’s supplies and labor.
At first, Nicholls said he relied on his troop to help raise money, but soon he started going to his school, the town, social media and local newspapers. A big push for him was the state’s primary in September – he estimates he raised $3,000 camped outside a polling location that day.
Obtaining the Eagle Scout rank is no easy feat: only 2.01 percent of eligible Scouts have obtained the rank since the award’s inception in 1912, according to Scouting magazine. It should come as no surprise, then, that Nicholls’s project took months of planning. He started working out the details in May, had the plan approved by the Bow select board in June, got approval from the Eagle Board in July, and started fundraising in August. Actual construction began Columbus Day weekend, and the finishing touches were laid Thursday afternoon.
The memorial could not have come together without the help of his community, Nicholls said. In addition to help from his friends, family and members of Boy Scout Troop 75 of Bow, Nicholls said his teacher’s boyfriend donated his concrete pouring services.
Nicholls attributed his success as a Scout to his parents, who enrolled him in Cub Scouts in first grade and would not let him quit. He said his journey to Eagle Scout is just four merit badges away, along with some paperwork.
The dedication ceremony will feature some speakers, including Andrew’s Scout leader, and refreshments will be provided. Evan Cemetery is located on White Rock Hill Road in Bow.