Building a firewood shed at Camp Haiastan: My Eagle Scout journey

Eagle Scout is the culmination of scouting in the U.S. Becoming an Eagle Scout means being a leader who is willing to serve your community. Every scout who desires the rank must complete a project for the betterment of his community. While doing a project locally would have been the sensible, sane and reasonable thing to do, I figured that a project in my hometown on Long Island, New York, would be too easy. I had my heart set on Camp Haiastan—“the greatest place on earth.”

When choosing my project benefactor, I wanted it to be an organization that has left a lasting impact on me. I first attended Camp Haiastan at age 9 and kept returning every summer. I loved camp and wanted to leave my mark at a place that has left a mark on me. 

Throughout my years at camp, I experienced many great things, like (not) sneaking out, drinking water out of a shoe for a stacking game and plotting to hoist my counselor’s water bottle up onto the flagpole. Despite originally avoiding Hay-Jahm (“Armenian Hour”), I grew to embrace it as I got older. Thanks to my exposure at Hay-Jahm, I started following Armenian politics and news. During my freshman year of high school, I even made a documentary about the Artsakh blockade.

Given that Camp Haiastan is over 200 miles from my house, I knew I would need to create something that could be built at my house and transported to Massachusetts. With the help of Camp Haiastan’s groundskeeper, Unger John Miller, also an Eagle Scout, I came to learn that Camp Haiastan needed a firewood shed.

I soon realized this “little project” of mine would not be such a small feat. Expenses totaled just over $2,000. After selling brownies through my Boy Scout troop, I quickly learned that I would need to sell hundreds of brownies to come close to covering my costs. To raise money, I sent over 30 letters to local Armenians in my community and known alumni of Camp Haiastan. Thanks to the generosity of many great people, I was able to raise $4,000. About half was used to cover the expenses of my project, and the rest was donated to Camp Haiastan.

Advertisement

Once fundraising was complete, I got started on building. Excited to work on my shed, I stayed up late the night before my algebra final to build the entire base with my dad. With help from fellow scouts, I was able to finish construction in under two weeks. Since the full shed was too heavy to lift onto a U-Haul, I stripped the shed down to just the frame and the roof. The wall and floor boards were labeled and their installation positions were marked. Begrudgingly, my dad drove a 15-foot U-Haul 200 miles in highway traffic from Manhasset, New York, to Franklin, Massachusetts. 

I arrived at camp on pick-up Saturday for the first session in 2024. The biggest roadblock to my project was yet to come: uneven ground next to a body of water. The shed was to be installed near the camp’s amphitheater and fire pit, adjacent to Uncas Pond. To prevent moisture damage, the shed needed to be elevated. Unfortunately, the ground was not level and was full of dead tree roots. With help from six amazing counselors and John Miller, the longtime facilities manager at Camp Haiastan, the ground was prepped and concrete blocks were placed into the ground. The shed was placed into position, and the pieces that were removed for transport were reinstalled. 

I am very grateful to all who helped me complete my Eagle Scout project for Camp Haiastan. From Unger John Miller to Executive Director Degin Knar and Baron Eric, who allowed me to borrow counselors to volunteer their time. Without their help, my project may have been impossible. 

After earning 28 merit badges, holding several leadership positions, spending 25 nights camping under a tent and completing one large project, I was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout on June 7, 2025. Thank you, Camp Haiastan, for being part of my journey.

All photos are courtesy of the author