By Loretta Srch
On November 9th, a Court of Honor at Willmore Lodge celebrated Louis Freeman of Lake Ozark Boy Scout Troop 21 for accomplishing the rank of Eagle Scout. It’s been a long journey for Louis. His first day as a Cub Scout was the beginning of Louis’ Eagle Trail. Years of accomplishments, challenges, merit badges, graduating to Boy Scouts and earning ranks brought him to the serious matter of working toward Eagle Scout in the summer of 2023.
Louis met his goals after a year’s effort, leading a team of 38 people volunteering 286.45 hours of labor over two major workdays and several small sessions. The outcome of Lake Ozark Founding Sign Project provides a garden area featuring the historic marker erected by the State Historical Society and the Missouri Highway Commission in 1957, a bit west of the Bagnell Dam.
It was a serendipitous encounter when, as a representative of the Bagnell Dam Strip Association at Hot Summer Nights last June, I approached the Scouts manning the hamburger concession inquiring if any boy was seeking his Eagle project. The BDSA, sponsor of Hot Summer Nights, is the community betterment organization of Lake Ozark. There were a few areas in need of a fresh approach and one sparked Louis’ interest, at fourteen years old and poised toward high school.
The next day, a phone call from Louis confirmed his commitment to working with BDSA. Though familiar in idea, this was my first understanding of the involvement required to become an Eagle Scout. This partnership also provided a glimpse into the dedicated workings of our local Scout Troop 21 who volunteer and show up for community functions, oftentimes performing the grunt work in the spirited attitude endorsed by Scouting.
Louis later described what drew him to the Lake Ozark Founding Sign Project. It was hidden by an overgrown spruce; a lost idea, a large cast metal, two-sided road sign with the story of Lake Ozark, seldom visited on a barely landscaped island near Bagnell Dam. That island is adjacent along Bagnell Dam Boulevard to a long, narrow strip of land, curbed, with a few trees, that was overgrown with shrubs, weeds, and debris. It was the history that compelled Louis to this project. His vision developed into a plan to clean up the two areas, landscape into a pleasant view and focus on the sign to signify its importance in Lake Ozark’s history. He and his grandfather, Mike Noonan, developed a bond through their shared interest in history. His grandmother, Donna Noonan, became his mentor for flowering plants. Louis’ parents, Christy and Jon Freeman, were supportive of his enthusiasm for the project and the extra duties it would require. Younger brother Levi pitched in on work days.
Each Scout choses his project with parameters outlined by Boy Scouts of America, but it is the Scout who determines the scope, sets the plans, raises the funds, manages the work, recruits helping hands, arranges, troubleshoots, changes with the circumstances and communicates with the benefactors of the chosen project.
Most everyone probably knows the Boy Scouts of America motto, “Be Prepared.” And while I was to learn a lot more about Scouting, I looked forward to being on Team Louis, prepared to step up, step back, whatever was needed for Louis to find his footing. No tenderfoot anymore, he forged ahead presenting his plans to BDSA, to Lake Ozark’s City Administrator and Public Works Director with illustrations, ideas, spreadsheets, deadlines and partnership proposals. And he listened. And he learned.
Through Louis’ message at BDSA meetings, networking to organizations brought generous donations from the Elks Club, the American Legion, its Auxiliary and Sons of Legion group. It resulted in Louis negotiating the acquisition of a bench and trash can from the Village of Four Seasons. He approached Home Depot who contributed plants, and Troop 21 Scoutmaster Josh Fredrick of Doctor’s Lawn and Landscaping provided expertise in wall building, tutoring for the Scout helpers, and other landscaping essentials.
Louis’ plan changed along the way, starting with the spruce tree being cut down by the city. With that news he readjusted, revising his plan dramatically. With each obstacle, Louis hurdled them by arranging meetings, asking advice, reaching out to his mentoring team, and keeping everyone well informed. He was always prepared, well-researched and able to juggle many aspects of the project simultaneously: coordinating with City Works’ schedule, plans and resources; weeding and cleaning the beds, planting bushes, planting flowers, mulching, building a wall, installing the bench and garbage can, displaying a QR code for more information about the history of Lake Ozark, ordering signs and other designations, delegating work duties to those who helped out, and following through during the heat of the summer watering in the new plants and bushes.
From our first encounter Louis impressed me as he worked his project. At every step he never faltered, never needed to make excuses, was always on-time, ready, and thinking several steps ahead. He demonstrated how the Scout Oath and the Scout Law apply in real life which include being Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, Reverent.
The Eagle Project is Step 5 of earning the rank. When Scouts arrive at the end of their project for review by their Council to grant the Eagle Rank, the mentors involved are asked to evaluate the candidate. According to Boy Scouts of America “Eagle Scout projects must be evaluated primarily on impact—the extent of benefit to the religious institution, school, or community, and on the leadership provided by the candidate.”
The project is impactful on Lake Ozark, in line with the City and the Bagnell Dam Strip Association’s beautification goals it opens up a pleasant spot to relax, learn about the city and its history and enjoy the beautiful view of Lake of the Ozarks.
For Louis it was an experience in leadership. Not only for accomplishing the mission, but as in life, dealing with surprises, the weather, unforeseen circumstances, and working with others. Louis summed up his experience, “What did I learn? Paperwork, patience, meetings, talking to
people. I learned little details that need to happen that people don’t talk about. Like a trash can lid gets strewn across the parking lot and you have to find it and fix it. How emails work and don’t work and how to talk to people.” Asked what Louis thought when he looked back a year ago, he said, “I thought about how much work I was going to have to do. But it turned out it wasn’t as hard I thought.”
Christy Freeman reflects on her son’s journey, “One thing he really had to experience to learn it was how best to communicate with people, based on the person he is talking to; if they best respond to email, phone, or in-person chats or meetings, as well as actual words he’s using, adults vs kids his age. It was something he really did have to realize. It was one of his best “take aways” from the project management side.”
The Eagle Scout trail and a project’s success at the end of that trail can lay a strong foundation for achieving aspirations. New Eagle Scout Louis Freeman knows where he plans to head. He says he’d like to “Make the world a better place. Involve kids.”
With a life-long ambition of experiencing adventure through traveling the world, Louis has plans to attend college, graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), and become a travel emergency department nurse. But first, two and a half years at School of the Osage are in front of him. With his connections to the BDSA and the City of Lake Ozark, perhaps the call of community service has taken a firm hold in this Scout. A Scout who can give testimony to the Troop because he has been the benefactor of its rewards. A Scout who can look out from the bus window on his route to school and see his accomplishments becoming part of the city.
Wherever he travels in the world, back in his old hometown of Lake Ozark there will be a garden spot with a bench by the Lake Ozark Founding Sign, and a tree-lined shrub garden alongside that those of us who worked with him fondly call, “Louis’ Eagle Scout Project.” It’s a lasting reminder of the impact an Eagle Scout can make, becoming a story in the history of a community. Good Luck and Congratulations, Louis Freeman!
Loretta Srch, a.k.a Mz Loretta a.k.a. Lore of the Ozarks, local artist, storyteller, hobby farmer-ish, is an active member of Bagnell Dam Strip Association and reporter of their goings-on