Saturday, July 21, 2007

Scout proposes building miscarriage memorial for Eagle badge project

KENDALL-- The Pine Grove Township Board of Trustees has tabled a decision on three Eagle Scout projects, one of them a memorial to unborn children.

Sixteen-year-old Jeremy Schultz, son of Rick and Kathleen Schultz, recently told the board that he was proposing three projects for his Eagle Scout badge: A sign, trash barrels and benches at Kendall Cemetery; grills, a donated bike rack and a bench at Kendall Park; and a memorial to unborn children at the Kendall Cemetery.

He said he'd prefer the memorial.

Jeremy said the memorial would be a tombstone in the shape of a teardrop with a brick walkway up to it. ``I know many mothers have miscarried children that would donate to the project,'' he said. ``They would like a memorial to go to for children that have miscarried.''

The township could sell the walkway bricks for $25 apiece to raise money for the project, which he estimated would run $1,400.

The three projects generated discussion from the board and audience members over details and preferences, such as benches at the Kendall Cemetery. There was also concern about the concept of the miscarriage memorial.

Jesse Richardson expressed concern about the memorial because he said other places have had such gravestones. ``They've had problems with them with the miscarriage versus abortion (issue),'' he said, adding he didn't think anything would happen here.

But Rick Schultz, Jeremy's father, said the proposed memorial was not about abortion and wasn't taking a stand for or against it. ``There are a lot of families that are hurting from a miscarriage,'' he said.

The stone, stating that it's dedicated to mothers of miscarried babies, would be mostly a picture. On it would be a prayer: ``Instead of the wind he hears the sound of angels. Instead of the beauty of the earth which passes he sees my face.''

The board will likely make a decision at its August meeting. Under such arrangements, the township pays for materials and the scouts provide the labor.

Source: http://www.mlive.com/news/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/news-24/1184595686282380.xml&coll=7

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