This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette.
PHILIPSBURG — For Brody Hann, earning the rank of Eagle Scout was about more than completing a checklist or reaching a milestone. It was about giving back to a place that helped shape him and doing something meaningful for the community he has called home for most of his life.
Hann, a senior at Philipsburg-Osceola High School, recently earned the highest honor in Scouting, a distinction achieved by only a small percentage of Scouts nationwide. He plans to attend West Virginia University after graduation, where he intends to major in electrical engineering.
For his Eagle Scout service project, Hann built and installed eight bat boxes at Black Moshannon State Park. The project was deeply personal. Hann said he has lived near the park for most of his life and wanted to find a way to give back to a place that has long felt like home.
“I wanted to do something with them because I actually live in the state park, and it’s been a home to me for my entire life,” Hann said. “And I wanted to give back to it in some way.”
After meeting with park rangers, Hann learned that bat boxes would be a valuable improvement. Bat populations have declined in recent decades due to disease, including white-nose syndrome and habitat loss caused by deforestation. The park had bat boxes in place, but many were aging and in poor condition.
“The park’s bat boxes, they had some previously, and they were in bad condition,” Hann said. “So I offered to, one, help the bats by making new homes, and two, help the park by replacing their old bat boxes.”
With help from fellow scouts and adult leaders, Hann constructed eight bat boxes and installed them in the park. He said seeing the finished project in place was rewarding.
“We made eight beautiful bat boxes and we installed them, and it turned out really good,” he said. “I’m really happy with how it turned out.”
The process, however, was not simple. Hann said the biggest challenges were communication and timing. Coordinating approvals among Scout leaders, troop committees and park officials required patience.
“I sent many emails to many people,” Hann said. “Not all those people are available at the same time, so for some parts, it took weeks to get one part of my project approved.”
Those challenges, Hann said, reinforced one of the most important lessons Scouting has taught him: leadership. His troop operates largely under Scout leadership, with youth members responsible for planning activities and guiding one another, under adult supervision.
“Our troop is run solely by Scouts with the supervision of adults,” he said. “It teaches you a lot about leading other people and helping other people succeed.”
Hann said when he first joined Scouting 12 years ago as a Cub Scout, he didn’t know what it meant to be an Eagle Scout. That changed when he helped another Scout with an Eagle project and realized how significant the achievement was.
“As I grew through the ranks, I figured, well, I’ve come this far. I might as well try for it,” he said. “And I’m glad I did, because it’s probably the greatest achievement I’ve earned so far.”
Looking back, Hann said earning Eagle represents everything he experienced during his years in Scouting.
“It represents the past 12 years of my Scouting adventure, all in the one big award,” he said. “All the hard work I put into it, all the accomplishments I made along the way and all the friends I made.”
When asked about mentors, Hann immediately pointed to his father, who served as a den leader when Hann first joined Cub Scouts and stayed involved throughout the entire journey. During his Eagle Scout ceremony, Hann presented his father with the Eagle Mentor Pin, an honor given to someone who made a lasting impact on a Scout’s life.
“He stayed with it the whole 12 years from the beginning to the very end,” Hann said. “I don’t think I would be here talking to you about my Eagle Scout award if it wasn’t for him.”
The moment, Hann said, was emotional for everyone involved.
“We all had tears in our eyes,” he said. “I couldn’t see my speech. I was crying so much.”
As he prepares for college and adulthood, Hann said leadership is the lesson from Scouting that will stay with him the longest. And for younger Scouts who hope to one day earn Eagle, his advice is simple.
“Stick with it,” he said. “Stick with Scouting. Stick with the people you’re with, because they’ll be with you to the very end if you believe it.”
Hann also emphasized that his achievement was not his alone, crediting his family, fellow Scouts, troop leaders, teachers and friends for their support.
“I couldn’t have done it without a single one of them,” he said.
Hann’s project is one example of how Scouting continues to benefit the Philipsburg community through service, leadership and young people willing to give their time and effort to make a difference. In honoring Hann’s achievement, the community also celebrates the values Scouting instills and the quiet impact it continues to have, one project and one Scout at a time.
