Tyler Chalfant is a vital member of the Mahomet-Seymour High School drama department both on and off the stage. He has acted in productions, built sets, and now, thanks to his Eagle Scout project, another of his talents will be remembered for years to come.
Chalfant’s Eagle Scout project was to design and a build storage unit for the Drama Department’s numerous props, including doors and furniture items. Now that summer is here, he is finalizing his project by organizing the props in the newly constructed storage unit.
“I worked with the Drama Department and Mrs. Allen” (department sponsor who recently retired), Chalfant said. “I talked with her about what she thought the department needed,” he added. Together they decided a loft area in a storage shed behind the high school was not a convenient place to store heavy doors used in set construction. A different storage unit was needed.
The idea was set in motion last summer, according to Chalfant. He consulted with his father, Russ Chalfant, and his Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 25, Randy Coffey. Together they came up with a design and a proposal. After a design alteration, Tyler was ready for the next step.
Funding for the new storage unit was provided by the MS Drama Club. Chalfant said he estimated the amount of materials needed and went to Kirchner’s Building Center in Mahomet to purchase it. It was delivered to his house in August, where he, his father, and members of his troop cut boards and prepared materials for assembly. A group of about 10 scouts and leaders from his troop helped with the build in November 2014.
Progress slowed down a bit during the winter months and during the Drama Department’s production of Mary Poppins. Chalfant said he has spent some of his summer finishing up with the organization of props.
“Lifting heavy things in the summer heat, in a hot storage unit has not been my favorite part of the project,” Chalfant said with a laugh.
What he did enjoy, however, was the hands-on building.
Chalfant does have building experience, according to his mother, Heather Pierce. He was construction co-chair during Mary Poppins. She also added his dad is handy when it comes to building things too. While Chalfant enjoyed building the storage unit, he doesn’t see himself studying architecture or engineering once he graduates from MSHS in spring, 2016. He said he hopes to attend law school and become an attorney.
Achieving the rank of Eagle Scout is the highest rank a young man can achieve in scouting. In order to achieve the rank, a young man must complete 21 merit badges, develop and carry out a project that must be sustainable and benefit the community, present the completed project at a Scoutmaster’s conference, and go before the Eagle board of review, all before a Scout reaches his 18th birthday.
Coffey said he encourages boys in his troop to work on their Eagle Scout requirements early in their Boy Scout career.
“It gets tougher as the boys get busier in High School, with sports and activities,” he said.
Busy schedules did cause a lesson learned for Chalfant.
“I learned I need to do more planning ahead,” he reflected. “I needed to have a backup plan for when it was hard to get volunteers,” he added. On one particular weekend when Chalfant had access to the storage shed and time to work on it, his Boy Scout troop went on a campout, so he didn’t have access to his workers.
Chalfant said he feels his project was successful. “Planning and writing the proposal was a lot of work, but it went well,” he said.
Pierce said she is not surprised her son worked to earn his Eagle Scout rank. “He has always been active in scouts, ever since he was a Tiger Cub (a first grade boy in Cub Scouts),” noted Pierce. “It’s always been a goal of his. The Eagle Scouts were the role models,” she added.
Boy Scouts has allowed Chalfant to take on leadership roles that will be important in his future. Pierce noted her son was a camp counselor and was in charge of rank advancements for younger scouts. He also was an instructor during camp, teaching basic scouting skills.
From first grade to senior year in high school, Chalfant has come full circle in Boy Scouts. And in a few short months, he too will join the ranks of the Eagle Scouts he admired. His goal in scouting will be obtained, and he will proudly write that he bears the rank of Eagle Scout on his college applications.
