“This project was one of the most difficult tasks I had ever done and it took a lot of work,” Douglas McArthur explains. “It would have never been able to be completed if it weren’t for every person that graciously volunteered to help me in any way possible.”

McArthur built a tortoise habitat and outdoor classroom at Our Lady of Las Vegas Catholic School for his Eagle Scout project. A former student at Our Lady, he “felt the need to give something back to the school that I had spent the majority of my life at so far. I contacted the science teacher there and they needed a habitat for the desert tortoise because he had been living in a small tank in the classroom.”

Douglas’s project, which took more than a year through planning, design and construction, “fulfills one of the last, most important, and most difficult requirements to attain the rank of Eagle Scout,” he explains. “It is meant to be a final test of everything that the boy has learned throughout his scouting career,” Douglas continues

“The most difficult part of the project was getting donations from companies and organizations to help and fund my project,” he says. “It took more than a month of going to many businesses to get everything that I needed to make the project a success.”

When Douglas contacted Hirschi Masonry for help, they “quickly offered to help me with anything I needed. Chad Hirschi, the owner, is also part of the Boy Scouts of America and knew the importance of helping people out with their Eagle Projects,” McArthur exclaims.

“The members of Hirschi’s team were very professional and easy to work with,” according to Douglas. “They were able to understand how an Eagle Project works and realize that I was the one solely in charge not another adult. They cooperated with me to get the volunteers helping them and get everything done. The Hirschi men worked well with the volunteers and wanted to make the project a success.”

With such a huge project, Douglas had a lot of other help as well.

“Most of the people that were involved in the construction were from my Scout Troop who I have known for a long time,” he says. “They all wanted to come help, especially the ones who attend Our Lady of Las Vegas because it was an exciting addition that they could be a part of. Other people who helped, I got them involved because many had ties to Our Lady and were glad to help. Others wanted to help me out because they had seen me in my journey through scouting.”

Douglas expresses appreciation of all those who contributed to the completion of his project. “The most important lesson I took away from this project is that every little thing helps,” he says.

“I just want to say thank you to Chad and everyone else from Hirschi Masonry who made this project possible on such a short notice,” Douglas says. “If it weren’t for all of them there would have been no habitat. Hirschi Masonry is a great company who truly cares for their community.”

We thank you, Douglas, for all of your hard work in completing your project and for being such an outstanding young man. It was our pleasure to help.