HOISTING OLD GLORY: Project for Eastern Hancock schools helps student reach goal

CHARLOTTESVILLE — A couple of years ago, Luke Manship watched his older brother, Eli, take on a massive Eagle Scout project at Eastern Hancock schools by working on the district’s playground area. When Luke’s turn came about, the younger Manship, now a freshman at Eastern Hancock High School, wasn’t going to be outdone.

Luke just wrapped up the physical work associated with earning his own Eagle Scout Badge with Boy Scout Troop 293. While he still has some other badges to earn and a presentation to give before he earns the actual Eagle Scout Badge, the labor part of the project is complete.

Thanks to community support, Luke raised an estimated $15,000 and installed a new 50-foot flagpole with a 10-foot-by-15-foot American flag to the east end of the Royal’s football field. He also added a cover and landscaping to the old well area.

“I talked with school officials because I knew I wanted to do something for the school district because Eastern Hancock means a great deal to me,” Luke said. “We settled on a few things that needed to be done, and I picked what I thought was a good project.”

Once district administration approved the final idea, Luke was off to the races raising funds and securing work from local businesses who helped him pull off the massive project.

“It was hard, and it’s unbelievable how much a 50-foot aluminum pole costs,” Luke said. “It was $9,000.”

The large flag cost another $500.

Luke said he spent months organizing the project, gathering support, lining up the work, including having the pole set in the ground and more. The work, he added, taught him so much about organization and community teamwork.

“It really has been an incredible learning experience for me,” Luke said. “Our community has been really great, and a lot of people have helped me so I’m really grateful for all of that.”

Eastern Hancock superintendent George Philhower said he was pleased that another student elected to do a project that will benefit the school community for years to come.

“We are so incredibly proud of Luke and the dedication he’s shown in working toward his Eagle Scout rank,” Philhower said. “It’s inspiring to see our students take such initiative, and it’s gestures like these that remind us of the strong sense of pride and connection that runs through the Eastern Hancock community.”

Luke’s new flag pole went live last week during the first home football game of the season. The 50-foot pole replaced an old 15-foot one that was hard to see, located in an off-field area.

“The new one is big, and you can see it from Interstate 70, which I think is really cool,” Luke said.

Libby Manship said her son Luke has been in scouting since first grade and has a few more badges to complete before he can be reviewed for the rank of Eagle. However, he had such a passion and vision for his project he wanted to tackle it immediately.

“All three of our boys are in scouts,” Libby said. “As a parent, it has been amazing to watch our boys’ growth in leadership, teamwork and problem solving through their scouting experiences, and doing the Eagle Scout projects are just one example of where they learn and apply those skills.”

As a mother, Libby noted there were days where the family knew Luke was pushed far outside his comfort zone and had to learn new skills while being challenged with changes in scope or getting answers he didn’t like.

“Through this project and many other scouting experiences, we watched him work through those moments, learn to be a leader and even a mentor to others and also learn the value that comes from being mentored and coached by others who have very diverse backgrounds and experiences,” his mother said.

While Luke noted it feels great to wrap up the physical part of the project and leave behind a lasting legacy at his school district, he’s thankful for getting the chance to be a part of his local scout troop, which helped him get the project done.

“I just really like bonding with my troop because we’re all friends and we do campouts and have meetings and it’s all super fun,” Luke said.

Luke noted he could not have completed the project without major help from his sponsors — NineStar Connect, Signarama, Custom Metal, GBC Bank, Brittany Burke with Turnkey Realty, Thomas P. Miller and Associates, Wilkinson Insurance, Ruble Outdoor Concepts, and Leonard Excavating — along with several individuals, including principal Adam Barton, Adam Kinder, John Splater, Dan Larison, Richard and Karen Willits, Tom and Marciann Miller, Joe Ricker and members of Troop 293.