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PHOTO: Jen Bernier, Sam’s mother, pins the Eagle Scout medal on her son’s chest during the Dec. 14 ceremony. (Submitted photo)
WATERVILLE — Family and friends, along with local officials, gathered on Dec. 14 at Waterville Masonic Lodge 33 for the presentation of Scouting’s highest honor- the Eagle Scout rank o Samuel K. Bernier.
Sam, 15, is the son of Daniel and Jen Bernier, and is a sophomore at Waterville High School.
Over the summer, he led his Eagle Scout project for the Waterville Community Land Trust. Sam and a group of Scouts and other volunteers established a community park on the banks of the Kennebec River, which required hours of site preparation, planting and erosion control.
What was the most difficult part of the project? “Doing a lot of work when it was really hot was hard,” Sam said. “Dealing with things that were out of my control, like weather and weeds was also difficult. Planting 91 plants in two new gardens was a hot, difficult job. Not all of the plants did well at first. Slugs damaged some of the plants in the Woodland Garden. Transporting water to the site was not an easy job, but we ended up with a lot of rain and that helped.”
Sam said there were unexpected challenges, like aggressive Japanese knot weed, invasive roses and scrubby weeds. The most surprising part? “I was surprised that so many people were so willing to donate money for materials and plants,” Sam said. “These donations allowed me and my team to focus on the two gardens instead of fundraising.”
State Sen. Scott Cyrway, R-Benton, a former Scout leader, presented a legislative sentiment that he introduced in the Senate, and was introduced in the House by Reps. Bruce White, D-Waterville, and Colleen Madigan, D-Waterville.
Camp Bomazeen Bushcraft Director Christopher “Montagawon” Bernier of Winslow (no relation to Sam) presented him with a tomahawk.
Ward 1 City Councilor Mike Morris and a representative of U.S. Sen. Susan Collins also made presentations.
“Sam is an outstanding Scout,” said Bruce Rueger, Sam’s scoutmaster. “He truly personifies the Scout Oath and Law. You can see the positive impact Scouting has had on this young man who has been in the program since he was a Tiger Cub.”
Sam is also a member of the Mid-Maine Dolphins and the Waterville High School swim program, and is also an avid hiker. This past summer he was a lifeguard and day camp volunteer at Camp Bomazeen, in Belgrade.
