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Kids On The Move - Matthew Welch
08/24/2009 - By Gayle Davis
SCOUTING...FOR THE DOGS
When Matthew Welch and his mom took their English Springer-Spaniel Liberty for a walk (2 years ago) at the Marlboro Municipal Complex, building a dog park wasn’t really on their minds…until they were ticketed by an animal patrol officer for not having their dog on a leash. Coincidentally, at that time the Marlboro Boy Scout needed to come up with a project to earn his Eagle Scout rank, so it seemed like the perfect time to come up with a plan for local residents and their dogs. Bingo! This would be the community service project that Welch would implement to achieve his Eagle Scout status. Matthew said, “It needed to be something that I could come back to in 20 years and [have it] still be here.”
In January 2007 the hard work began for the then freshman. Matthew visited several dog parks in the area – two public and one private. Based on his findings, he and some of his fellow scouts measured the physical dimensions, saw what plumbing work would be needed, and studied the waste stations for disposal. “In June of that year I went to the recreation department and presented my idea to them. They said it was one of the best presentations they had ever seen, and that they would think about it.” Just 2 months later Matthew was turned down; he was told it would cost too much and space was limited, so he then took his idea to the neighboring town of Matawan. They loved the idea, but did not have the space for it. After that he began to feel a bit discouraged.
Then, in January 2008, Welch received a phone call from Deputy Mayor Larry Rosen, offering to build the dog park if Matthew was still interested. “That was when we really got the ball rolling and got the project back on track again,” he said. The cost of the dog park was estimated to be about $60,000, most of which the eager scout said was paid for by donations. A “challenge grant” was put in place by “Best Friends Dog Care” of Marlboro; the corporation matched donations dollar for dollar, and this money helped pay for the benches and the waste stations. A local fence company – Ecosystems Fence – had offered to donate all the labor and materials, but was unable to do so because they were not the manufacturer, so they happily donated just their labor.
Welch said, “During that summer, with the help of some of the Boy Scouts, I supervised the construction of the dog park. Only one professional instructed me on what needed to be done, and I then delegated the tasks to my fellow boy scouts to complete the project. We finally celebrated our grand opening of the park on September 12, 2008. Over 1,000 residents and their dogs attended!”
Now gearing up for his senior year at Marlboro High School, Matthew reported, “The dog park has proven to be a success, as residents and their dogs are often seen commiserating behind the gate at the municipal center…and it’s a real benefit to the town.” Now he and others finally have a place to unleash their dogs without the fear of being ticketed!
The National Honor Society student has his sights set on applying to several top-notch universities, such as Brown, Cornell, Duke, Georgetown, and Northwestern, to name just a few. He’s hoping that his dedication and community service will assist him in gaining acceptance, but adds that it is not the reason he chose to become involved. He started out as a Cub Scout when he was 7 years old and never wanted to quit. He noted that his uncle was an Eagle Scout and his mom is involved with the Girl Scouts as well.
Matthew currently serves as the Captain of the Varsity Golf Team. He is also a member of the Future Business Leaders of America, French National Honor Society, and the French Club. He looks forward to a career in business or law one day, but right now he enjoys his job as a caddy at Due Process Stables in Colts Neck.
STATS
FAVORITE RESTAURANT
Metropolitan Café, Freehold
FAVORITE MUSIC GROUP
INCUBUS
FAVORITE MOVIES
The Hangover and Pineapple Express
PET PEEVE
people who stop short in front of you
THREE PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE DINNER WITH
Tiger Woods, President Obama, and Warren Buffet
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