As part of his Eagle Scout project, Aaron Spar used a process called tuckpointing to help recondition the marker at Ada War Memorial Park.
Don Spar, Ada | Submitted photo
ADA — Approximately 2% of Boy Scouts throughout history have achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.
For a Scout with Down’s syndrome, the percentages are considerably lower. Aaron Spar’s father, Don says that, while his son loves music, “math is Aaron’s stumbling block.”
Maybe that stumbling block became a stepping stone that kept Aaron Spar from considering the statistics and enabling him to move forward to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout at age 27.
Aaron’s Eagle Scout project, his community service and his positive attitude were listed among the many reasons for his nomination for the 2023 Jefferson Awards for Public Service. Aaron is described as “an asset to his community.”
What began as a desire to replace the flagpole at Ada War Memorial Park for his Eagle Scout project proved to be too costly until he received a grant that included a provision for a new flagpole. Once the flagpole was installed at the football field, Aaron arranged for solar lights to be installed to enable the flag to be illuminated while on display.
During the remainder of the Eagle Scout project, Aaron and his team of 6 Scouts and four adults reconditioned the marker at the park with flagstone and concrete, using a process called tuckpointing. The entire project took approximately 1 1/2 months and 140 man-hours with the team working exclusively on weekends.
Serving his community is a way of life for Aaron. He has assisted at the Hardin County Fair, brought cheer to nursing home residents, helped with serving meals, served in his church and currently serves as a Junior Assistant Scoutmaster with Troop 124 in Ada.
He can also be found working at his custodial job at Ohio Northern University, where he volunteers for extra work if needed. He has been described as a “polite, cheerful and hard worker” by nominators Dave Savino, Keith Nichelson and Linda Meyer.
Don Spar said of his son, “Everything his does with a smile on his face.”
Aaron is noted to be a role model for other Scouts. His nomination form stated, “He has shown that if one is … challenged, that does not mean one has to be in the background. Nothing gets in his way if he wants to achieve (a) goal.”
The traits displayed by Aaron Spar sum up the reasons why this math-challenged young man is a winner of a 2023 Jefferson Award.
JEFFERSON AWARDS
The Jefferson Awards honor 10 individuals for their community service. There will be an awards ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the City Club in downtown Lima. At the ceremony, one of the winners will be selected to represent the region at the national Jefferson Awards dinner in Washington, D.C.
