Royersford Rededicates World War I Memorial Monument

Fifteen-year-old Boy Scout Kyle Thorpe has spent the last year planning, fundraising and working on his Eagle Scout project to refurbish the World War I Memorial Monument at in Royersford.

During the rededication ceremony Sunday, members of the community got to see how Thorpe’s work has paid off. The monument looks brand new, with a bronze and black plaque listing the 205 Royersford-area soldiers who fought and died in World War I.

Thorpe, a member of Troop 231, sponsored by Sacred Heart Parish in Royersford, said the project got started last July when he approached Royersford Mayor David Urner with the idea to build a monument for his project.

"I knew I wanted to do something military," he said. "My grandfathers – one was in the army, one in the navy – were both military. I thought I would build a monument."

Thorpe said that Mayor Urner then suggested cleaning up this one. Thorpe spent six months raising the $3000 he needed. He collected the amount thanks to some generous donations, including one from area resident Charlie Feairheller.

Thorpe then planned the improvements he wanted to make. These included digging a trench to run electric wiring for a light that will light up the memorial and its flag at night; new stone walls surrounding the memorial and new plantings in front.

Thorpe also cleaned the bronze plaques on the front, which include four seals of the four branches of the military in addition to the names.

"We cleaned the plaque with a mixture of vinegar, salt and flour and then put leather dye and a sealant on top," Thorpe said.

Thorpe also spoke about digging the electric wiring trench in the rain and how the sun came out right as they finished digging. He said the project took 253 man-hours to complete.

Guest speaker David Willauer said that the important thing about rededicating this monument is that "we aren’t just rededicating a stone memorial."

"We need to rededicate ourselves to remember and have appreciation for the people honored here," Willauer said.

Troop 231 scoutmaster Tom Johnson said the important part of an Eagle Scout project is for the scout to demonstrate leadership.

The scout has to demonstrate his ability to "put a plan together to lead other people in getting a task done. It’s not about how much [he] personally worked on it; what they’re looking for is ability to structure, figure out what the obstacles will be."

Thorpe will go before a board of review regarding his Eagle Scout application and have to answer questions about the project. The process helps the scout learn how to handle obstacles, how to adapt a plan and many other critical thinking skills.

"One of the things they’re very interested in is what went wrong and what did you do in response to it, how did you overcome it," said Johnson. "They’re learning how to think along those lines."