Matthew Kirk builds fire ring for Fairmont church to earn rank of Eagle Scout
Jul. 24—FAIRMONT — The Meadowdale H&H Chapel United Methodist Church now boasts a new fire ring for its youth programming, and it has one young man to thank — 18-year-old Matthew Kirk, who just became Fairmont's newest Eagle Scout.
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouts of America, requiring 21 merit badges and an extensive service project, among other prerequisites. Kirk built the fire ring as his Eagle project after looking for a way he could support the local community.
"We had been asking if anyone needed something [built]," Kirk said. When members of Meadowdale told him they could use a fire ring, he and his friends from Troop 16, based in Fairmont, rose to the challenge without hesitation.
"We went there, got measurements done, went to Lowe's, [and] got all the supplies we needed," Kirk said. Then "we got one day where we could all come together and started building it."
For Kirk, who began as a Cub Scout, reaching Eagle is an accomplishment that embodies an entire career of Scouting.
"Once you hit Eagle, you put everything that you've learned from every badge underneath it into one big project," he said.
For Kirk's mother, Sheena, "seeing how much he's grown and how much he's developed over the years," especially in his "want to go do things and help the community," has been a source of immense pride.
Bill Stanley, Scoutmaster for Troop 16, noted that Matthew Kirk is the 37th Eagle Scout to come from the Fairmont troop.
"He's done real well. In the last four years, he's really come on board and done everything you need to do," Stanley said. "It's about leadership."
According to the BSA, only about 6 percent of Boy Scouts achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. And, over the years, some men who went on to achieve great things have made the rank of Eagle, including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, race car driver Don Garlits, legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg and Walmart Founder Sam Walton.
Roberta Steele, a lay leader at Meadowdale who works with the church's youth, said that the fire ring will be put to good use.
The church has several youth events held outside each year, including Vacation Bible School programming and Trunk or Treat, where church members pull into the parking lot and host a car-based trick-or-treating event around Halloween. According to Steele, these are times where the fire ring will definitely make an appearance.
Steele added that she is grateful for Matthew Kirk and what he has provided the community.
"He came up with a plan, and it's really beautiful," she said. "We're really proud of him."
Jack Walker is a multimedia journalist for the Times West Virginian. Jack graduated with a bachelor's in archaeology and a master's in American studies from Brown University in May 2023, and is originally from the small town of Thurmont, Maryland.
