LOCAL
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The Kings Mountain Herald November 1, 2007
| eweaver@kingsmountainherald.com
It was in the fall of 2006 when
Joseph Maner decided to take a
path less traveled and transform
it into a path more easily trav-
eled at the Kings Mountain State
Park.
Several hours and several
Saturdays were spent on the
project that would earn this Boy
Scout his Eagle rank. But to get
those coveted wings, he had to
first embody the characteristics
of leadership, service and out-
door skills.
He found, however, he would
also need patience, ingenuity
and determination. Patience
would help him get through the
weekends when he couldn't
work due to weather or other
circumstances. Ingenuity was
employed after a .Saturday’s.
hard work was washed away by
the rain. Determination was his
driving force.
Maner’s mentor, park ranger
and church youth leader Sharon
Robinson helped him acquire the
supplies he needed. Unlike most
other scouts in the hunt for the
Eagle, he did not have to raise
money for his project. The park
service provided the mulch and
the timber and he brought the
tools. “The only money I had to
spend was for the gas to get
down there,” he said.
Because this was a test of lead-
ership, he employed six or seven
of his fellow scouts to help him.
They cleared the path, marked
the path, laid down mulch and
put in some crossties to keep the
rains from washing away the
path. Maner added a couple of
steps to a footbridge that was
constructed and put in place by
another Boy Scout troop in
Clover, SC.
The “Farm Trail” is about a
mile-and-a-half long, he said.
“It’s just a little hiking trail to get
to what they call the living histo-
ry farm, which I guess is like a
Colonial-aged farm,” he said. “It
went from there to Lake
Crawford and then up to the
parking lot.”
But what the trail would even-
tually lead Maner to was the
Eagle. The son of Bob and Susan
Maner, he is a member of Boy
Scout Troop 92, based at First
Baptist Church in Kings
Mountain. He has been in the
scouts since the 5th grade when
he started as a Cub. The lessons
he has learned over those past
seven years are treasured as
emblems on his sash and uni-
form. One of his most favorite
experiences and merit badges is
the one he received from small
boat sailing. “We took a trip to
Camp Rodney, which is on the
Chesapeake Bay, and they've got
a little sailing program up
there,” he said. “We actually
learned how to sail our own little
sunfish, like a one-to-two person
boat. It was pretty neat.”
He finished his Eagle Scout
project in March, went before the
Scouting board for final
approval in June and received
his wings on September 30. The
ceremony was held at Maner’s
church, First Presbyterian. He
said that there have been three
young men in Troop 92 who
have achieved. the Eagle rank
recently. According to the Boy
Scouts of America, only about
five percent of all scouts actually
achieve this illustrious status.
Hope Christian
honor rolls listed
. Hope Christian Academy has
announced its honor roll for the
first nine weeks grading period.
A honor roll - Kelsey Shores,
Arden Maney, Rachel Whitlock,
Tyler Brooks, Thomas Cable,
Roni Crenshaw, Amir Moore,
Micah Rivers, Tyler Shores, Joey
Wall, Jarred Whitlock, Courtney
Cox, Jacob Hoffman, Ryan
Johnson, Thomas McDaniel,
Lateef McMullan,
Moretz, Linh Pham.
Leatha.
A/B honor roll - Jordan
Maney, Jessica Terry, Jurgen
Kohler, James Laughlin,
Brandon = Matheson, = Ashley
Regans, Casey Barkley,
Savannah Horne, Josh Wall,
Jessica Boone, Alicia Burrell,
Heather Hoffman, Erica King,
Max Penland, Sara Storch,
Jessica Ridings, Ethan Segars,
Lizzie Sibley, Blake Smith,
Rashad _- Toney, Hannah
LaPlante, Ashley Owens, Rachel
Terry.
EMILY WEAVER/HERALD
Joseph Maner restored the Farm Trail at the Kings Mountain National Military Park for his Eagle
Scout Project. He stands next to the finished trail, above.
Choice TY SVETIEREY
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