Oak Park residents now have a year-round way to retire worn U.S. flags, thanks to a high school senior's Eagle Scout project.
Hunter Bogehegn, a member of Troop 2 and a Scout since third grade, built and installed two flag drop boxes at Oak Park fire stations as his Eagle Scout project, the Wednesday Journal reported. The boxes are the village's first official flag retirement drop sites.
One box sits at Station 1, 100 N. Euclid Ave. The other is at Station 3, 900 S. East Ave. Both are open around the clock. Residents can place a retired flag inside, and the fire department takes care of collection and disposal.
The Oak Park Fire Department had wanted the boxes for some time. The department had collected flags from residents over the years but had no dedicated drop sites, according to the Wednesday Journal. Deputy Chief Kevin Fadden said the department had a rough concept but lacked detailed plans, and Bogehegn filled in the gaps.
Fadden has 20 years of experience working with Scouts and involvement in more than 200 Eagle Scout projects.
He said watching a teenager lead the effort is the enjoyable part, praising "the growth and the maturity and the skills that these boys and girls have to put together to accomplish this goal."
Bogehegn said the hardest part was creating the plan. Eagle Scout projects emphasize leadership, and once his plan was approved, he led a team to complete the work. He said he chose the project because he wanted to contribute something new to the community.
The flag boxes mark the third Eagle Scout project in partnership with the Oak Park Fire Department in recent years. Previous projects included laying bricks around the front landscaping at a station and building a specialized drying rack for firefighter gear.
Bogehegn, now a high school senior, said approaching the end of his time in Scouting America feels "exciting, but kind of sad at the same time."
