Eagle Scout's project provides new flooring to Landingville church
Mar. 1—LANDINGVILLE — An Eagle Scout's project putting in a new floor at a borough church is not only beneficial for its members, but for the wider community.
"Everyone loves it," said the scout, Nathaniel Zellner, of Auburn. "I'm constantly reminded of how good a job I've done."
Zellner, a member of Boy Scout Troop 624 of Orwigsburg, completed his Eagle Scout project Sept. 10, a month before he earned Boy Scouting's highest honor on Oct. 20. It involved replacing carpeting in the fellowship hall at Welcome United Methodist Church with a new hardcore wood flooring. His family are fourth-generation members of the church on Main Street.
It had been damaged by years of flooding from the nearby Mahannon Creek, a tributary of the Schuylkill River, the most serious occurring in 2006. The 18-year-old Blue Mountain High School senior said the old carpeting was in the hall since the mid-'90s.
His mom, Deb Zellner, said because the hall sits lower than the rest of the church, it tends to bear the brunt of the damage from flooding.
He said he was originally going to install vinyl flooring, but said it "gave us too much trouble" installing, so they went with the harder type. Zellner said he went with installing a new floor at the suggestion of the church's Board of Trustees during a 2018 meeting.
"I felt it was something nice to do," he said.
Zellner began fundraising in 2019, with the majority of funds raised through three ham and chicken pot pie sales in the winter of 2019-20, as well as donations from church and family members. The work began last fall, having been delayed from last spring due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. He was assisted by 17 people, including from Troop 624, other troops, Troop 624 members' families and church members. Volunteers signed their name on the floorboards as they installed them.
"We had plenty of help," Zellner said.
He said figuring out how to put the flooring in correctly was the hardest part of the project. Once it was figured out, he said installing it was easy.
"Once you get the first couple of rows down, (the work) just flies," Zellner said.
Deb Zellner added that the scouts worked well together on it.
"I think everyone was surprised, once they got the rhythm, how well they worked together," she said.
The new floor, Zellner said, is more appealing, especially with groups that rent the fellowship hall, and easier to clean.
"It looks nicer," he said. "You don't have to put on special treatments, use a special carpet cleaner. You can just sweep and mop it."
Deb Zellner said the new floor is a morale booster for everyone.
"It lifts everyone up," she said.
Tim Christman, the church's pastor, said the new flooring is a "fine endeavor," adding the space is not only used by the Welcome United Methodist Church, but by the public.
"It's good to have the upgrade," he said. "The space is an extension of the congregation with events."
Christman said with Zellner taking the lead on the project, he refurbished it "from top to bottom," stating that it is "one of the nicest places in the borough."
"I'm glad for Nathaniel," he said. "He's a fine young man and knows what scouting is all about."
Contact the writer: clee@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6028; @Cleespot on Twitter
