On Saturday, 17-year-old Lillian Gentry and Scouts from troops across southeast Michigan installed 18 story boxes at Milan’s Wilson Park.
The Eagle Scout project will allow the library to switch out different children’s stories for parkgoers to read as they walk around the fitness loop.
The project felt like the perfect fit to Gentry, who will be starting this fall at Columbia College Chicago, where she plans to study creative writing, and dreams of becoming a children’s book author.
“That’s why I did this because I really like literacy,” Gentry said.
Scouts began installing a Storywall at Wilson Park July 11.
Leadership
Prior to the July 11 installation, Gentry designed the boxes herself, went with her troop to Lowe’s to obtain materials and solicit donations, and then she and her troop cut and built them out of wood. Her skipper is a carpenter who provided extensive support.
Jennifer Perryman, the youth services coordinator at Milan Public Library, said Gentry has been very professional as she coordinated the project in meetings with Milan City leaders and the library. Gentry also works as a volunteer at the library.
“She is amazing and her project is amazing,” Perryman said, adding that it’s an unusually large undertaking.
The project involved designing the boxes, shopping for supplies, building the boxes and installing them at Wilson Park, in addition to several meetings with the city and library to work out the details of the project.
The final stretch
Gentry and members of Troop 290G out of Ypsi, one of the nearest all-girls troops in the area, in addition to members of the Sea Scouts and friends from other area troops braved the heat and humidity Saturday afternoon.
Installation wasn’t always easy work.
One of Gentry’s friends from martial arts, Jürgen Demuth, who is also part of Troop 5, helped dig the holes for the poles, but kept hitting roots and rocks.
JD Burch, 20, got to know Gentry over several summers during the Trail to Eagle Summer project. He stayed busy helping, always with a big smile. Burch is a University of Michigan student, an adult leader and just joined her as a member of Sea Scouts, whose members can participate until age 21.
“I’m entrusted with the paint,” Burch said.
Zoey and Jocelyn Gadepalli were there with their mother, Suzanne Gadepalli. The Ann Arbor girls are also part of the Ypsilanti girls Troop 290G. They were busy with a drill assembling the boxes.
“Lily’s our senior patrol leader. So, we figured we should help her,” Jocelyn said.
Gentry’s older brother Gus and fellow Scout Blake Parker were traveling with a Scouting venture crew in England.
Lillian Gentry and other members of her Scout troop purchased the wood and constructed the boxes.
A different path
Gentry said she joined Scouting later than most.
“I didn’t join Scouts until 16,” she said. “So, I had to rush to get my project done.”
Gentry was homeschooled and she was a lone Scout for a while with her mom as her Scout leader before joining Troop 290G and Sea Scouts. Her family maintains their permanent residence in Tennessee, but since the COVID-19 pandemic, the family has traveled full time.
“My husband’s able to work anywhere there’s work,” said Gentry’s mom, Anne. “He’s a union electrician.”
While in Michigan, her husband, Gaines, has worked as a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Detroit, Toledo and Monroe. The family has also lived up and down the West Coast of the U.S., and in Illinois, Washington, D.C. and Southern Indiana. They have traveled to more than 30 states in the last six years.
In shifts throughout the morning, Scouts from various areas of southeast Michigan worked to install story boxes at Wilson Park.
Looking forward
After installation, the library will take over maintenance of the project and will change out stories from time to time. Perryman said the first story will be Here We Go Digging for Dinosaur Bones written by Susan Lendroth and illustrated by Bob Kolar. It has a simple song that can appeal to young children with more detailed information on each page for older readers, she said.
Trish Parker, who has been active in Scouting in many ways, currently serving as assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 290G and also a mate in Sea Scouts, said the Milan Scout troop has done many projects to benefit the area, including a walking path map at Nature Park, a map of Milan at Tolan Square, a gaga ball pit at Milan Middle School, picnic tables for Aid in Milan, and a blessing box stocked with free food and household essentials at Bridge Methodist Church.
Parker said Gentry’s is especially challenging.
“It really is a big project, lots of work and it’s all to benefit Milan,” said Parker.
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