Meridian High School Student Completes Project for Coveted Eagle Award
Falls Church City, VA -- Meridian High School student Daniel Fried this week earned his Eagle Scout award after completing a new outdoor seating area for Falls Church City's public schools. The seating area comprises five benches that sit on the campus outside Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School and Meridian High School cafeterias.
“My main idea was to create an outdoor learning space where students could get fresh air during their classes,” Fried said. He also wanted to provide more outdoor lunch space beyond the existing four picnic tables because “people always wanted that.”
Fried was inspired to undertake the project by another scout in his troop who recently renovated the outdoor classroom space at Mount Daniel Elementary School. “I realized there wasn’t anything like that in our secondary schools – and I wanted to change that,” Fried said.
Fried, 18, led construction of the benches as part of work he is doing to earn his Eagle Scout Award, the Boy Scouts of America’s highest rank. To earn the award, each candidate must earn 22 merit badges and successfully complete a community, church, or synagogue-related service project. Only about 6 percent of all eligible boy scouts earn the distinction, according to a national scouting publication.
Fried earnd his award at a ceremony on June 4. Approximately 15 scouts affiliated with Boy Scout Troop 1996 of Falls Church City constructed the benches, under adult supervision. The project involved roughly 150 hours of work to complete. All told, it cost about $800, Fried said, noting that he raised money for the project from donations from family members and the local Home Depot.
A senior at Meridian High School, Fried is also involved in Scholastic Bowl and plays percussion in the Meridian High School wind ensemble and the Falls Church City community band. He is the son of Stewart and Annette Fried.
Boy Scouts of America Troop 1996 serves youth in Falls Church City and surrounding areas and is sponsored by the National Sherriff’s Association. The troop counts more than 30 youth as members and welcomes all interested in scouting.