Prayer garden construction helps teen gain Eagle status

FARRAH MAFFAI To earn the distinction of becoming an Eagle Scout, John Tsoukalis built a prayer garden at St. Mary of the Lake Roman Catholic Church, Lakewood.

HOWELL — Boy Scout Troop 515 recently honored John Tsoukalis, 17, at an Eagle Scout Court of Honor held at the municipal building. The event celebrated the teen-ager’s attainment of the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America.

Tsoukalis’ Eagle Scout project, a requirement of an aspiring Eagle Scout, was the conception, planning and construction of a prayer garden at St. Mary of the Lake Roman Catholic Church, Lakewood, as well as the installation of trees and other landscaping to act as a buffer between the prayer garden and neighboring Route 9.

Tsoukalis said his plans for the project began in 1999 when he went to the Rev. Mike Walsh, pastor, and asked what needed to be done at the church. Tsoukalis said he wanted his project to benefit the church at which he worships.

Walsh presented an idea for a prayer garden to Tsoukalis, who then worked with his Scoutmaster to draft the plans.

That step took a long time, Tsoukalis said, but in the end his plans called for cutting three layers into an eroded hill and installing garden stones in tiers. Shrubs were planted on each tier and a platform was placed on the top wall to be used for prayer. The tree buffer was planted around the perimeter of the garden.

Along with planning and executing the project, Tsoukalis needed to supervise and organize the people who helped him. He said several of his fellow Scouts helped with the wall and about 15 people, adults and children, helped plant the trees and shrubs. Each part of the project took one day and Tsoukalis said he has been back to the church a couple of times to do some maintenance work on the garden.

Tsoukalis joined the Boy Scouts as a Tiger Scout when he was in the first grade. His troop, 515, is sponsored by the Howell Elks Lodge No. 2515, which is where the Scouts hold their meetings. He has worked his way up through the ranks of Scouting over the course of 11 years to finally attain the Eagle Scout rank.

"It’s definitely an honor," Tsoukalis said of his new Eagle Scout recognition. "Since I’ve been in the troop, that has been my goal."

The teen-ager said his biggest inspirations have been his Scoutmasters and his older brother, Costantinos, 20, who is also an Eagle Scout.

"When you see it go through your family, it motivates you that much more," Tsoukalis said.

Several people attended Tsoukalis’ Eagle Scout Court of Honor, and representatives from the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Howell Elks Lodge, the Knights of Columbus and Howell Mayor Timothy J. Konopka presented him with various honors.

John, the son of Suzanne and Nick Tsoukalis, is entering his senior year at Howell High School. He is in the process of applying for college, and, though he does not know where he will go, he said he would like to major in economics, political science, or perhaps both.

He has been a member of the Howell drama club throughout his high school career as part of the stage crew and is currently the stage manager, overseeing the construction of sets.

Tsoukalis said working with the stage crew has fostered his interest in projects such as the prayer garden.

He also got some inspiration from his father, who works in construction, he said, adding that working toward his Eagle Scout rank has given him the leadership experience he needs to be the manager of the stage crew.

He said leadership and communication skills will be the primary assets he takes away from his experiences in the Boy Scouts.