By Alisa Gershman
Honoring and respecting our fallen veterans are a large part of what Serenity Meadows Memorial Park, Funeral Home & Crematory does. Ensuring that families know that their loved ones are being taken care of and given the proper burial is always a heartwarming feeling. That is why Scout Troop 665 of Lithia decided to work with the funeral home for their Eagle Scout project of making flag retirement boxes.
The purpose behind the boxes is to be able to retire flags that are no longer able to be displayed so they can instead be recognized alongside a veteran during their cremation process. The symbol of our country’s flag holds so much respect and meaning for veterans’ families, and it is important it is given the same honor as those who have passed on. Thus, the local Scouts saw the perfect opportunity to lend a helping hand to the community in this project.
Among the main requirements for becoming an Eagle Scout are showcasing outstanding character and service abilities in and around the community. Don Westerhoff, the father of Eagle Scout Stephen West, who completed this project, shared that his son, alongside his troop, wanted to accomplish something meaningful for the community that would show respect for their veterans. In doing so, he reached out to Amanda Schmidt at Serenity Meadows and shared that “together, they recognized the need for dedicated flag collection bins — secure receptacles designed to hold weathered, damaged and aged American flags gathered from the veterans’ cemetery and the surrounding community.”
After working together to come up with a vision in making these boxes, the troop was able to come up with an official plan, budget and design that would then need to be approved by different leaders within the troops. Once they received approval, they began working on assembling the boxes according to the Eagle Scout project workbook, with the help of West’s mentor, Tom Bristow, from Troop 665.
Now officially in place, the boxes hold so much meaning within the community. For the troop, it is a marker of their dedication and leadership in this Eagle Scout project. For Serenity Meadows, it is a way to respect and honor all veterans who have been laid to rest there and show the community its commitment to honoring our nation’s heroes. In fact, anyone can drop off an American flag for retirement to Serenity and honor our troops. For more information, visit its website at www.memorialplanning.com or call 813-677-9494.
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