Weylin Eck, 16, Mertztown, Life Scout, embarked on a project that took nine months to a year and $6,100 to complete in his quest to be an Eagle Scout.
Eck updated a WWII Memorial on the site of the Longswamp UCC Cemetery and a dedication ceremony was held on Sunday, Nov. 9.
“I didn’t feel that the memorial, how it was, gave full respect to the people who served for our country. I just wanted to make it more so representative,” said Eck. “The outer bushes that were surrounding the whole thing were overgrown with poison and other vines and the inner bushes that were surrounding the monument itself were dying.”
“We are so proud of Weylin for the work that he did. The War Memorial needed to be refurbished. It was looking drab, it was down, the hedges were overgrown and he took something with an existing structure and refurbished it and made it absolutely beautiful. Not only does it make the cemetery look better, but it also reflects on the church. It pays tribute to the veterans as well, which is awesome,” said Longswamp UCC Consistory President Dylan Weaknecht, Mertztown.
“I’m the president on the cemetery for 22 years and I just want to say, Weylin did a very good job on the cemetery and everybody that helped him and the people that gave things, it was a tremendous job and it really looks nice down there,” said Ronald Newhard, Alburtis, who is also sexton and groundskeeper for the UCC. “I have to thank Weylin again, he really did a good job, and the Boy Scouts; everybody that helped you know. The way it was before, what a difference. We have every branch of the service down there.”
“It’s fabulous, outstanding. Everybody is amazed at it,” said Dave Hellwig, Mertztown.
Hellwig served on a ballistic nuclear submarine in 1965 to 1969 and is now a member of the Topton Legion, Post 217, and the VFW in Breinigsville, Post 8282. Hellwig is not only a friend of the family, but the post’s commander at the time Eck began making presentations for his project.
“To me it’s a full circle,” said Coralie Eck, Weylin’s mother. “My father grew up at the Topton Lutheran Home from the age of seven with two of his brothers. My husband’s father and his grandfather grew up in this area. My husband’s father was in the military. My father served in WWII, so to me, just like I said, it was a full circle.”
Weylin’s mother said the memorial project is “his way of giving back to those people, his family, the people from the area, Barry’s father, Dan had a cousin who was killed in WWII from this area, Lee Eck, and it was just an awesome way for my son to update this memorial and give it the credit it deserves.”
The Boy Scouts of America’s website states that in order to achieve Eagle Scout status, a Boy Scout must be active for a period of six months once he has achieved the rank of Life Scout. He must live by the principles of the Scout Oath and Scout Law and be able to list on his Eagle Scout Rank Application the names of individuals he knows personally and who would be willing to provide a recommendation. The Scout must earn a total of 21 merit badges including, but not limited to the following: First Aid, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Communication, Emergency Preparedness or Lifesaving, Environmental Science or Sustainability, etc. The Scout must have taken part in a unit leader conference and while a Life Scout, plan, develop, and give leadership in a service project to any religious institution, any school, or in the community. Then the Scout must successfully complete an Eagle Scout board of review.
“The Eagle project is supposed to be the leader and lines up everybody to help. I helped him with the fundraising. It was more or less my end of it; the public relations person,” said Coralie. “He had to present himself to the Legion, to the Lions, in front of the church.”
According to Coralie, Weylin was able to raise $5,600. The project actually ended up costing $5,100. The remaining money is being donated to the cemetery board. His original goal was $3,500 with plans to just have the U.S. flag and the four branches and when he approached the Legion, they suggested the Coast Guard and the POW flag. They said the POW flag could be flown under the U.S. flag. The cost increased to include one more pole and two more flags.
“I just felt that every branch in the military did something throughout WWII and history in general so I figured now is the chance to do it. The biggest challenge was probably finding out dates where I could have adequate help to work on the project. For some of the things like pulling out the bushes, I had to arrange with two of our friends who have bigger tractors to help remove them. That was probably the most difficult part,” said Weylin.
In appreciation of everyone who had helped in Weylin’s project, he placed a full-page ad thanking the various groups including Scout Master, Doug Butz, all the scout leaders and fellow troop members.
“I learned that when you put your mind towards something and you have a specific goal in mind, you can accomplish everything,” said Eck. “Just do your best and make goals for yourself and eventually do your best to achieve those goals.”
Kim Jenkins, friend of the family, said Eck came to her last summer when she was president of the consistory of the UCC with his proposal. She saw his vision and felt it was different.
“He had to go before the cemetery board and he had to pitch his idea and he had to come up with how he was going to pay for it and what it would look like. He had to have a rendering of the project,” said Jenkins. “What he did was so above and beyond the call of duty and he raised every penny himself. Not only did he raise every penny, but he stood before us in church last Sunday and told us that after he bought an extra set of flags and an extra set of bulbs for all the lights, he still had $500 more that he’s donating back to the cemetery board,” said Jenkins.
According to Jenkins, Eck also told the congregation that he plans to see this through and take care of it and do sandwich sales and things annually for the next several years just to be sure it’s maintained properly for awhile. Jenkins added that a good portion of the congregation was in tears.
Coralie Eck said a check for $542.50 was given to Longswamp Union Cemetery and that the hoagie fundraiser sales Weylin committed to for the next two years is on his own and not through the Scouts. Eck also gave special mention and thanks to Laurie Heagy for organizing the day of the dedication ceremony.
Eck is already planning his next goal of achieving the final merit badge needed to earn his wings as an Eagle Scout within the next three to six months. He needs to learn the different foods and ways of handling food as well as the preparation of dishes to earn his cooking badge.
He was inducted into Brandywine Heights Chapter of National Honor Society on Nov. 15.
