Members of Boy Scouts of America Troop 1870 of Fairbury are connecting the past to the future.
The troop has placed a time capsule at Dominy Memorial Library with plans to keep the contents sealed for over 50 years. This is an idea the boys came up with a couple of years ago.
“We put some written words in there about what life is like at the moment,” explains Scoutmaster Scott Ziller. “It actually started in 2020 during the COVID shutdown, so there is some stuff in there about that and real-life experiences from the boys.”
Contents also include various pictures and items to show what Scouting was like during this time. A plaque is displayed during the capsule at the library.
“It will sit there until somebody is ready to open it,” said Ziller.
During a recent dedication ceremony, Ziller told the Scouts this capsule could be compared to what the Boy Scouts do – preparing kids for their future by teaching them skills from the past. The idea is to help them overcome challenges in the future.
Troop 1870 Senior Patrol Leader Alexander Starke spoke of the time capsule’s importance and noted his enjoyment of the organization.
“I personally love it, it’s great,” said Starke.
“I think the people that come in here and see it will have a good experience,” observed Nathan Plenert, assistant senior patrol leader.
Plenert has climbed the ladder to Eagle Scout. Statistics indicate only a small percentage of all Scouts even make it to this designation. Plenert had to go through several different ranks and Eagle Scouts must do a service project in their community by raising money and lining-up volunteers for the project.
“We are a small troop,” stated Plenert. “I think in the past seven years we’ve only had seven Eagle Scouts so I’m very proud to be one of them.”
Boy Scouts of America promotes real-life skills such as first aid and pioneering. These skills not only help members survive in different situations but give them the ability to overcome a challenge which they can apply to various aspects of life.
“I think you’re a better steward of the land in the future if you spend time actually living off the land,” concluded Ziller.
