Gilpin teen seeks Eagle Scout honor through project for Leechburg fire company

Lukas Remaley knew he wanted to do something to help out Leechburg.

The Gilpin teen had been a part of the Boy Scouts for more than 10 years and earned at least 40 merit badges.

“You learn how to work with other people and be a better person,” said Lukas, 17. “There’s a lot of leadership and everything. I’ve learned how to be involved in leadership and demonstrate to some people how to do certain things and get it done.”

So when it came to coming up with an Eagle Scout project, the Leechburg Area High School senior thought of something that would benefit a lot of people.

Lukas’ original plan to earn Scouting’s highest honor was to install about 400 to 500 feet of electrical lines underground in Gilpin Park from one pavilion to another.

It would have provided power to people renting the recreational site as well as future community events. Unfortunately, the project was deemed unfeasible because of cost, excavation and other labor.

Boy Scout Troop 553 is chartered to Cross Roads Community Presbyterian Church in Leechburg.

The Remaleys said they received some guidance from the church’s pastor, Gary Lyon, about what to do.

“I was approached late last winter about the possibility of him doing an Eagle Scout project either on the property of (the) church or at the Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company,” Lyon said via email. “I am the pastor and have been a firefighter for many years in Leechburg, and I guess they figured since my wingspan was great something might pop.

“The Remaley family is wonderful, and Lucas has just been awesome working his way up through the ranks of Scouting for these past several years. Totally giving of himself the way a Scout should be. … The fire company, Cross Roads Church and Troop 553 have teamed up for many years in different projects around the community, so it was a natural outlet for Lucas to connect the three together.”

The result of those discussions was the creation of an American flag disposal box and message board.

It was constructed by Lukas, his family and friends over two months and was installed outside the fire station along Canal Street in mid-November.

The message board is about 2 feet by 3 feet and encased in aluminum and plexiglass.

The disposal box is about 2 feet square and sits underneath the message board. Both stand a few feet off the ground and are protected by a pitched metal roof.

Flags can be deposited at any time. The troop will pick up the flags when the box is full and formally retire them in a ceremony.

“There’s always people asking where to properly take flags to get disposed,” Lukas said. “It’s (also) nice to have somewhere for the fire company to put their announcements where everyone could see it and go down to see what’s going on. It’s something nice to see and have for the community. I’m proud of it.”

Building things is something Lukas is passionate about. He is learning the construction trade through Lenape Technical School near Ford City and plans to pursue a related career after high school.

His mother, Kelly Remaley, said the Boy Scouts have been an invaluable part in her son’s life.

“I think Scouts is a great program because (with) the Cub Scouts the parents do most of the stuff,” Remaley said.

“When they cross over into Boy Scouts and do merit badges, I think it gives you a good broad expansion of what you want to do with your life. You become leaders the more you grow. They’re practicing their life skills, their knots, and it keeps them active. It keeps them outside. I think it’s great.”

The Remaleys said they plan to submit all the paperwork for the Eagle Scout project to a court of honor, and the official recognition might be given by the end of the year or in January.