Masonic Village Installs Bat House

A Batty Idea

Boy Scout Alec Piper has practically grown up at the Masonic Village at Elizabethtown. To earn his Eagle Scout, he decided to do something to give back to the community and its residents in way that matched his interests with a need on the 1,400+ acre campus.

I want to thank Masonic Village for allowing me to accomplish my Eagle Scout project there by building bat houses. The reason for building them there is I have volunteered there, and my grandmother and great grandmother are residents there. Also, my mother works there, and it is a beautiful campus that I know very well. I went to kindergarten, summer camp and “preschool” there. I did my project there in order to thank them for allowing me to volunteer there and for housing my grandparents.

Protecting Residents and the Environment

Says Alec:

The reason for building bat houses was because of my interest in the outdoors and taking care of the environment. I thought this would be a great idea since it helps establish a “green footprint.” These bat houses and bats will keep residents safe by eating insects, like mosquitoes, that could harm them, and by beautifying the campus, releasing seeds from the berries they eat. I am grateful that I was awarded my Eagle Scout because of the project that I was able to complete here and by letting Masonic Village house my relatives. Once again, thank you for the care you provide to the residents and allowing me to volunteer at a beautiful, well-kept campus.

Photo Caption: Scott Ruth, director of land management for the Masonic Village at Elizabethtown, stands with Alec at the site of a bat house.