Earning the rank of Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts is not an easy task. It takes hard work and long hours, just as Joel Kervin.

Kervin, a freshman at Troy University, said earning the rank of Eagle Scout was not one he took lightly.

“I think total it was about 12 years, because I got into it when I was six,” Kervin said. “I started as a Tiger Cub, which is Cub Scouts. I think I turned a Boy Scout when I was 12, still a little kid. Boy Scouts started then, and I worked through the ranks then finally got to be an Eagle Scout after all the hard work.”

Kervin was a member of Troop 555 in Troy.

Each Scout hoping to reach the rank of Eagle Scout is required to complete a project benefitting their community in some way. Kervin said there were a lot of steps he had to take in order to complete his project.

“There was a lot of paper work, about 30 pages,” Kervin said. “You had to devise a plan for a project that would benefit the community and submit that to the board. If they passed it, then you can begin work on your project, and then you had to complete it. Then you had to go to the board of review and see if you were ready to be an Eagle Scout.”

Kervin chose to refurbish and furnish a playground for the children of his church, Oak Grove Methodist Church, to play on after church on Sundays.

“One day we were out at the church, and I had always watched the little kids when they play to make sure they’re safe,” Kervin said. “While I was sitting there, it finally just hit me that our playground equipment was dangerous. It was decrepit, and it was stuck on this island that was part of the church ground so the kids didn’t have anywhere to run around.”

Kervin said he set out to fix the playground and provide a safer environment for the children. Kervin said it wasn’t easy, but ultimately with the help of his parents, the church and others he said he was able to complete the task.

“They were sets, but you had to build everything,” Kervin said. “They came in a box with a bunch of screws that you had to assemble yourself. It wasn’t like plastic pieces you just stuck together. I did have a ton of help form my dad, and the Scout troop was always there to help, and the people at the church were there, too.”

Kervin said he would not have been able to do any of the projects or achieve the rank of Eagle Scout without the help of those around him, but the largest lesson he learned as he moved up the ranks was to not quit.

“I wanted to quit almost daily, I guess, but my parents assured me it would be worth it,” Kervin said. “I had great Scout leaders and a great group of kids to work with. It’s almost impossible to do by yourself. Sometimes that’s the easiest way out, but in the long run it’s better to stick with it.”

Kervin is the son of Jeff and Janet Kervin. He is a graduate of Pike Liberal Arts School.