A Sign of the Times
Updated: Sep 29
The Past & Present
This year Molly Dellinger made her mark on the Sneads Ferry province by refurbishing one of the original "Welcome to" signs and bringing it back to its full glory. The sign now stands facing north at the bottom of the south gate bridge on 172 coming into Sneads Ferry from Camp Lejeune. It was chosen as Molly's Eagle Scout Service Project and is a lasting testament to the value of restoring, reconditioning, and reclaiming things that matter.
Service Project ... Landed
Molly was "born and raised" (as the saying goes) in Sneads Ferry, attended the Dixon school system from elementary through high school, was part of Girl Scouts of the USA early on and became a member of Scouting America as soon as the opportunity arose through Troop 937. With the tight timeline to achieve all the requirements to make Eagle, Molly focused on the task and accomplished getting all her necessary merit badges. Then came the consideration of her final Service Project.
Molly has lived here all her life and never noticed "the sign" until one day while riding with her family over the bridge back into Sneads Ferry something caught her eye - WHAT IS THAT? Hidden in the brush, covered by weeds and tall grass was a faded old "Welcome to Sneads Ferry" sign that was easily ignored - especially since it was pointing backwards towards the bridge to Camp Lejeune!
Permission Granted
Molly set to work researching ... who made it? ... who owned it? ... how old was it? ... who did she have to get permission from to recondition it? After asking around Sneads Ferry through friends, family, Face Book and the First United Methodist Church - whose property the sign was found on - the general consensus was that no one knew the history and that the church owned the sign - since it was on their property. Both Troops 937 and 739 meet at the Methodist Church so they had no problem granting Molly permission to refurbish the sign and bring it back to life.
Approval Received
The next step for Molly was to formulate, propose and get verbal approval of the Service Project by the Troop Committee Chair. Then she had to submit the proposal to the District Eagle Scout Board of Review and undergo an in-person interview with council answering their questions about how she was going to accomplish the project, who would be involved, what it would mean to the community, and how it would benefit the community.
Support Offered
Part of the Service Project process was making a complete inventory list of all materials, supplies and tools needed to accomplish the work. The Sneads Ferry Rotary donated funds for supplies and Ace Village Hardware supplied the paint free of charge.
Process Achieved
The sign had to be removed from the property to a work area where it was deconstructed. All its components were power washed and the wood slats sanded smooth. The sign was reconstructed, the lettering and graphics were repainted with (as original as could be determined) colors, and then it was weather proofed with a sealant.
While the project was in process the land that the sign was found on was sold. So, it was repositioned a little deeper on the church property and mounted along with two other smaller signs facing traffic coming into Sneads Ferry off of the bridge. Now everyone coming into Sneads Ferry over the south gate bridge of Camp Lejeune is greeted by Molly's handiwork. Many people were involved in the refurbishment process (from planning, procuring, retrieving, deconstructing, sanding, painting and reinstalling) which took over 200 man-hours to accomplish.
Lessons Learned
Molly says she wishes she had thought of the project sooner because once the project was well underway and almost complete, she discovered another sign hidden among the grasses on the greens of the Blue Water Hotel just as you come into Sneads Ferry from the North Topsail Bridge. In hind sight, she would like to have reconditioned both signs.
Future Anticipated
This summer Molly celebrates high school graduation, achieving Eagle Scout and moving into the next chapter of her life but she has left us with evidence of how much she cares for Sneads Ferry and how important it has been to her upbringing. In the fall she will attend NC State University to pursue a career in Elementary Education.
Momentum Promised
Molly's Eagle Scout Service Project is a nod to the community she has been a part of her whole life. By refurbishing the sign and bringing it back to life it honors the heritage and the history of the community.
One has to wonder if there were ever more signs coming into Sneads Ferry from other roads and directions ... and if Molly's project will inspire others to refresh those and other aspects of our community that could use a little loving kindness and care ... celebrating Sneads Ferry history and leaving a legacy for all to enjoy.
If you're reading this and up for the challenge Molly has paint and supplies left from her project that you can use to refurbish the second sign she found. If you are interested or curious you can reach out to us via: Hello@OurSneadsFerry.com.
Momentum Forward
In early September three young Scouts from Troop 937 - Gwen, Emma, and Aubrey spent a Saturday morning refreshing the paint on the "Welcome to Sneds Ferry" sign that was retrieved from Rt 210 at the base of the NTB Bridge. The completely refurbished sign was replaced on the Bluewater Hotel property in time to greet everyone for the annual Sneads Ferry Shrimp Festival. Thank you, ladies, for keeping the momentum moving forward!
