Nathan Holbrook, junior, has been in Boy Scouts since he was eleven years old and earned his life scout award, the last award to get before the Eagle Scout award, just two years ago. While trying to figure out which project Holbrook should do, nothing spoke out to him as meaningful until last summer, when visiting Nauvoo with his family. A small, Mormon historical town along the Mississippi River, Nauvoo may not have much significance to many, for one student, it has been the source of his Eagle Scout project.

“Last summer I was in a show in Nauvoo [the Nauvoo Pageants] and they were telling us how they needed Eagle projects to make these toys for the historical site,” Holbrook said. “I go to Nauvoo every summer and I decided I really wanted to do that so I started on the paperwork to apply for the project and I got it approved in February. I have only been working on the project itself for a month and a half now, but it is a long process.”

Being Mormon and going to Nauvoo is a big part of Holbrook’s life, he said. The show Holbrook and his family participated in focused on the history of the church in the 1840s. For his project, Holbrook is making two different types of toys that are needed for the fair which is held before the show performance.

“One of them is called a whirligig, it is a wooden thing on a string and you spin it around and it’s really fun and addicting to play with,” Holbrook said. “The other thing I am making is strips of fabric tied together which people can weave them into rugs or braided ropes, like they would have in the 1840s.”

To jumpstart his project, Holbrook has been collecting fabric and money donations from family and friends at the high school.  Holbrook plans on having NHS volunteers come and help with the making of the toys to help high school students get involved.

“The goal of the Eagle project is to help young men gain experience in leading people in service opportunities while also helping them find major opportunities to serve the community,” Holbrook said. “The goal of my project is to make 1000 of each of the toys for the Nauvoo shows to have a successful fair.”

Holbrook plans to finish making the toys by mid June, as the pageant takes place in July, to ultimately help others create great memories just like he has, Holbrook said.

“I know even now people will go to Nauvoo in their adulthood and still get into the toys they remember from their childhood,” Holbrook said. “I just want to help continue that positive experience of going to Nauvoo and enjoying yourself and wanting to come back.”

While his love for Nauvoo is what inspired Holbrook’s Eagle Scout project idea, his decision to earn his award stemmed from his dad, Holbrook said.

“A big push for me is my dad because when he was in boys scouts in high school he only ever got his life scout award,” Holbrook said. “He’s been pushing for me to get my Eagle and work on that. It is also just a really good experience and it won’t be something you regret later in life.”