By Allan Jamail
Houston, TX. – San Jacinto Memorial Park Cemetery, 14659 East Freeway, Cloverleaf area. The Jacinto City’s Boy Scout Troop 1301 has been meeting on weekends searching the hundreds of acres on foot looking for Veterans grave markers.
On Memorial and Veteran’s Day flags are placed next to the grave markers of the Veteran’s and many times the ground is so dry and hard the small wooden stick cannot be pushed into the ground.
The Scouts came up with a remedy: they made a homemade tool (see photo) to push down into the ground to make a hole large enough to accommodate a small piece of plastic pipe next to the grave marker. The pipe will enable the small wooden sticks attached to the USA flags to easily be inserted into the pipe without breaking the stick. The pipes are pushed down even with the ground not to interfere with the grass cutting and will last forever.
Scouting is an excellent way parents or guardians of youth can prepare their children for their adult life. Scouts can earn merit badges by completing projects or learning about sports, crafts, science, trades, business, and future careers, there’s more than 135 merit badges Scouts may earn.
An Eagle Scout is the high scouting achievement rank there is and is earned by obtaining a specified amount of merit badges, there’s total of 7 ranks scouts can get. Carlos Martinez, Jr of Troop 1301 is currently working to achieve his Eagle Scout rank by leading the Veterans cemetery project while the other scouts are assisting him.
NC Star writer Allan Jamail began scouting as a Cub Scout then became a Boy Scout. He said, “Scouting helped me in serving my community as city councilman, mayor and chief of police. I strongly encourage boys and girls to get into scouting. It’s fun, exciting, keeps you active and learning which will prepare you to achieve in your adult life.”
Troop 1301 meets every Tuesday at 10346 Fairfax Street (Calvary Missionary Baptist Church) in Jacinto City at 7 PM.
To join Troop 1301 you can call Scout Master Miller at 832-260-8684, or Espanol Debbie Martinez at 832-768-2063 or Brandon Miller at 832-260-6681.
To learn more about boy and girl scouting or to find a scout troop near you visit www.scouting.org