One local Eagle Scout showed his dedication towards service of his community by building a special area to play in for the students at Lennox. For his Eagle Scout project, Matthew Stengrim of Troop 171 and a freshman at Lennox High School built a gaga ball pit in Westerman Park.
Now, those who have not been to a summer camp lately may not recognize exactly what is a gaga ball pit. This game is a popular game for camps, one could say it’s a game that campers go gaga for; it focuses around a wooden octagon shaped pit as its centerpiece.
Long story short, the game is like a unique form of dodgeball where players hit a ball around in the pit and try to avoid it. If a player is hit by the ball they are out and have to hop out of the pit. Essentially, the last one in the pit wins.
Stengrim set out to build this fun play feature in Lennox as a part of his required community service project as an Eagle Scout. Since he thoroughly enjoyed playing gaga ball at the variety of camps he’s gone to throughout his life, he picked this project to give back to the community. Scout projects, according to Stengrim, have to be led and directed by the scout. This project allowed him to do that while building something that can be enjoyed by so many others
“It’s a nice thing to do, because as Scouts we’re trying to leave an imprint on America and the world to show that we care and we appreciate what’s going on in our communities and we want to make it a better place,” explained Stengrim.
Built out of quality lumber, the gaga ball pit is structurally sound and sturdy. As a unique feature, Stengrim’s pit was designed with a gate that can swing open for entrance. This was done to allow children of all abilities and ages to be able to enter the pit to play.
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