The Mirror Newspapers Reflecting Life Along The Maumee River
BY KRISTI FISH | MIRROR REPORTER — At 16, Logan Harding has spent a decade earning merit badges, attending camps and attempting to tie knots, all for the coveted title of Eagle Scout.
Logan’s mom, Tina, enrolled him in Cub Scouts the moment he was eligible. She said it gave him opportunities he never would have had, and continuing with the program allowed him to learn things outside of a traditional classroom.
“I learned first aid, I learned how to weld,” Logan said. “I learned auto-maintenance, swimming, camping, cooking.”
It also inspired a future career path for him. Logan, a Maumee student, plans to attend Penta Career Center next year and make use of his welding badge in hopes of becoming a welder.
Over the years, Logan learned a lot through hard work and dedication, but it wasn’t without enjoyment, too, he said. Inside jokes, campouts and lasting memories are all part of the Scouting experience.
The culmination of all of this time, though, is becoming an Eagle Scout. One of the final requirements for that is the completion of a service project.
“We went to the Metroparks and said I wanted to do a cleanup by the sledding hill, and they said they wanted somebody to clean up the riverbank, so that became my project,” Logan said.
He gathered a small group, which started at the river’s edge near Jerome Road and collected a dumpster and half of trash, Logan said. They spent the entire day cleaning up the riverbank, and he treated his helpers to pizza at the end.
The intense work along the riverbank reminded him of basic childhood lessons, though.
“People litter – a lot,” Logan said. “Please don’t do it. Somebody has to clean it up and it’s not fun.”
Lessons like these are part of what has stuck with him for the past decade and have continued to help him grow as both a Scout and a person.
He also has some advice for kids, like him, who are trying to figure out if the effort is worth the payoff.
“Do it,” Logan said. “Don’t give up. Stick with it.”
On the days he wasn’t sure it was worth it, his mom was there reminding him of how important the opportunities were and motivating him. With a little push from his mom, and a little bit of competiveness within himself, Logan has achieved what fewer than 1 in 10 Scouts ever do.
“My mom put me in this in first grade and then I never quit,” Logan said.
