MOORE — Richard Hansen, 15, is a third-generation Boy Scout.
His father, Tim, is an Eagle Scout and is Scoutmaster of Troop 287. Tim Hansen’s brothers are Eagle Scouts and his father was a Scoutmaster with 20-plus Eagle Scouts to his credit.
Richard’s parents said they value this program for what it teaches young boys to become — upstanding community individuals.
“It’s more than camping and knots and having fun,” said Michelle Hansen, Richard’s mother and Troop 287’s committee chair. “Underlying all this is the life lessons that so often get overlooked at schools and in the many families.
“It builds confidence by saying ‘show me you can be great’ instead of just saying ‘you’re great,’” she said. “You watch these boys mature and learn and you can see the lights clicking on and the mental gears turning. They learn to handle themselves in a variety of situations, they learn how to be leaders and they learn how to follow respectfully.
“Scouting gives them tools — mental, physical, social — to attack life and succeed, if they choose to apply what they’ve learned,” Michelle Hansen said.
In late December, the Moore American sat down with Richard Hansen, who wants to save children by building a fence at Apple Creek Elementary School, 1101 SE 14th — and make Eagle Scout along the way.
American: How long have you been in Boy Scouts?
Richard Hansen: Seven years.
American : Did you want to be a Boy Scout or did your parents make you?
RH: Yeah, I wanted to. The Boy Scouts had a table set up at my school and I love the outdoors kind of stuff — so I asked my parents if I could join.
American And why do you want to go for Eagle Scout?
RH: Eagle Scout is personal. I want to finish and not quit. I’ve been in Scouts for so long and I want to finish what I started.
American Do you know what the percentage is of boys who start in Cub Scouts and make it all the way to Eagle?
RH: It’s a very low percentage — not sure the exact number but it’s somewhere below 10 percent of the kids who start out as Cub Scouts and end up at Eagle.
American : What are the requirements for Eagle Scout?
RH: Life rank, the project, and having been a Life Scout for six months prior. The project has to be approved by the Scout Master, Troop Committee, Eagle Board (the Sooner District), then the project is completed and then you go back to the board and show that it has been completed. Then the paperwork is sent off to a National Board for final approval.
American : What made you decide to build a fence at the Elementary School as your project?
RH: Mom told me that at a PTA meeting the parents were discussing how a parent was texting and driving and accidentally drove up over the curb and into the playground, which made me think that building a fence around it would be a good idea.
American : How was the approval process for this project?
RH: I went to the board first and they said my project didn’t have enough detail. So I spent a few more days putting more detail into it and took it back before the board. I spent 45 minutes in a room with three people who picked my idea apart. They finally did approve my project.
American : Is there a time requirement to have this project done?
RH: Have to have it done by the time I’m 18 and that’s in two and a half years.
American : How much money do you need to raise?
RH: About $3,000
American : And how much have you raised so far?
RH: About $400
