Thanks to a community-minded Scout, the Fort Belvoir Travel Camp has two new information kiosks where campers will be able to pick up maps and check safety rules and wildlife regulations, once they're completed.
Graham Bartolomei, 14, a Life Scout in Troop 1115 of Springfield, Va., and a Fort Belvoir resident, is in the final stages of becoming an Eagle Scout, the highest rank within the Boy Scouts of America program. To earn the rank, Bartolomei had to organize a community project, and he chose building the kiosks at the travel camp because Fort Belvoir's waterfront area is one of his favorite locales.
"I like coming down to the waterfront on Fort Belvoir," he said. "I had contacted the wildlife office and they said that I could do kiosks. The fact that I could do something here was one of the reasons I chose it."
"I hope it helps people find out any important information they need to know," he added.
The project took more than 80 man hours, from designing the kiosks to assembling the frames and roofs and digging holes for the signposts, Bartolomei said.
He enlisted the help of 12 other Scouts, his parents and two brothers, to get it all done.
On Dec. 20, he arrived at the camp in the quiet and chilly morning with his father and two brothers to finish putting shingles on the signs and take measurements for plastic covers that will protect the informational flyers from the elements.
Bartolomei's father, Air Force Lt. Col. Jason Bartolomei, who attends the Marine Corps War College at Marine Corps Base Quantico, said he feels proud to watch his son oversee a project like this.
"The big part of an Eagle Scout project is for the Scout to practice being a leader and organize a project, and so I think as a parent, it's really great to see your son take responsibility and plan a large project and see it through," he said.
Jason Bartolomei said his son's project will benefit campers on Fort Belvoir for many years to come, since the kiosks were built with such sturdy materials and care.
"There's a good chance that Graham will be able to come back to the travel camp someday and show his Eagle Scout project to his kids," he said.
Boy Scout Troop 1115 is located in Springfield, Va. and is chartered by the First Baptist Church of Springfield.
For more information, visit http://troopmasterweb4.com/041150T.
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