Scouts clean Sherrod Park as part of Eagle project

ALBANY – For the pessimists among us who, following the lead of generations before them, write off “this younger generation” as weak and out of touch, let me introduce you to Jack Hodges and a bunch of his pals in Troop 3 and other Boy Scout troops in the area.

It was the 15-year-old Hodges who sent out a call – and got excellent response — from his fellow Scouts Saturday as he worked on his Eagle Scout project at the Charles Sherrod Civil Rights Park in downtown Albany.

Even at 8:30 a.m., as the Scouts and their parents – as well as some curious onlookers who lived nearby and pitched in with the work after enjoying coffee and doughnuts – gathered at the park, located at the corner of Jackson Street and Whitney Avenue, the heat and humidity had teamed to turn the morning into a veritable steam bath.

But that didn’t stop the 30 or so who gave the park a thorough cleaning.

“About three years ago, I came with my mom (Melissa Hodges) to a Keep Albany-Dougherty Beautiful recycling event, and we saw a bunch of trash in the park,” Jack Hodges, a student at McCallie Boarding School in Tennessee, whose family lives part-time in Albany and Atlanta, said. “So we decided to clean it up.

“When it came time to choose my Eagle Scout project, I decided to come back to the park. I reached out to KADB and the city and got approval to move forward. Then I got the word out to local Scout troops, and a lot of them said they’d be here. And they showed up.”

Hodges, whose father, Ken, is a judge on the Georgia Court of Appeals, is part of Troop 3, sponsored by St. Teresa’s Catholic Church in Albany. The younger Hodges said that the idea behind the park cleanup was not initially about his quest to become an Eagle Scout.

“The goal initially was not to do this as part of Eagle Scout requirements, it was to do something to help the community,” he said. “All of us out here this morning, we wanted to make a difference in our community.”

Troop 3 Scout Master Houston Daniel said drawing attention to Hodges’ project serves a dual purpose: To make a difference in the community and to spread the work about Scouting, which has seen numbers dwindle in recent years.

“This project will help rejuvenate part of our city, and it will get the word out about what we’re doing in Scouting,” Daniel said. “We’ve already had three members of our troop earn Eagle Scout rank this year, so it’s not really rare to have another Scout working toward the designation.

“But the numbers in Scouting in general are dropping, so it’s good to talk about the things we’re doing so the public sees that we’re still making a difference. A lot of people don’t realize that.”

As Jack Hodges, his fellow Scouts, parents and other supporters cleaned up trash, power-washed the monument that is the centerpiece of the park, and removed low-hanging limbs and vines, the overpowering humidity did nothing to stamp out their enthusiasm. And it drew a spark to the eyes of one proud parent.

“I’m very proud of Jack; this was all his idea,” Ken Hodges said. “He needed to do his big Eagle Scout project, and he decided to come back to the park. I’m proud to see the young man he is becoming.”

And is the younger Hodges following in his father’s footsteps?

“Oh, no, I was a Scout, but I was nowhere close to being an Eagle Scout,” Ken Hodges said. “Jack has surpassed me by a long shot.”