Eagle in training: Lynn youth landscapes museum courtyard in pursuit of Boy Scouts’ highest rank

Jason Goldman – a Boy Scout of America from Troop 80 out of the Knights of Columbus in Lynn – held a courtyard cleanup day at the Lynn Museum and Historical Society Visitors Center on Saturday.A freshman at Pope John XXIII High School in Everett, Goldman is a lifelong resident of Lynn who has been involved with the Scouts since he was 7.As a requirement of the Boy Scouts, 15-year-old Goldman was expected to plan and execute an Eagle Service Project to better the community. After considering a few different projects, Goldman settled on the courtyard cleanup when he heard that the Museum was in need of volunteers.?I felt that I wanted to do something for my city and make a difference,” Goldman explained, and noted that he?s interested in history. “It?s good to preserve history in general and I wanted to bring attention to the Museum.”As part of the project, Goldman cleaned out the courtyard of the museum, which is the size of about two basketball courts and was in desperate need of revamping. The space was riddled with litter and debris, and the garden beds lacked any plants or flowers and needed new mulch. The benches in the courtyard were also worn and broken and moss covered parts of the brick walkway.Goldman said he wanted to clean up the courtyard so it would be a more inviting place for those visiting the museum. He hopes his work will attract new visitors, as the Historical Society is currently in the process of setting up new displays and exhibits.To carry out the project, Goldman said he recruited a group of at least 20 adult volunteers to assist him with the cleanup, including many of his neighbors and fellow Boy Scouts. He said some raked and swept, pruned shrubs, removed and replaced dead annuals and perennials, and applied fresh mulch to the flower beds.And Goldman covered all the bases when planning the cleanup. He realized there may be glass, needles and other sharp debris, so he made sure there was a “sharps” container on site for disposal. He also made sure volunteers wore goggles and gloves.He scheduled breaks for water, snacks and lunch, and solicited pizza donations from Atha?s Famous Roast Beef, Fauci Pizza and Nickey?s Pizza. Goldman also solicited donations from Home Depot in Salem, Northeastern Nursery in Peabody and Shaw?s in Salem for all of the supplies. The City of Lynn provided the mulch and volunteers brought their own tools.Goldman said the cleanup took him approximately two months to plan. “I learned about making a difference and bringing a whole group together to accomplish one thing,” Goldman explained. “Once you start putting down the tasks that you need to accomplish and you overcome them it starts to put itself together.”