Eagle Scout project assist with theater renovation

The Eagle Scout Service Project gives young men an opportunity to “find a hole that needs to be filled and then fill it”.

Life Scout Thomas Jamieson did exactly that on July 11 when members of Troop 441 met at the Fallon Theatres to help with their renovation project.

“With the Fallon Theatres on the State Historical Buildings list, I wanted to do something that would help them in their efforts,” Jamieson said. “Four boys from our troop went down to the theatre and Fallon Community Theatre board president Mike Berney showed us some projects. The project that I decided to do was remove the burlap off the walls and clean the walls so they could be painted.”

Burlap was placed over the walls when the theatre was remodeled in 1983. The Spanish motif design arches that were part of the 1930 remodeling project will be painted for a different Eagle Scout Project in upcoming weeks. Some who attended the movies and saw the arches for the first time said that the arches give the theatre a foreign country look. Jamieson shared that despite some concerns about what the lack of burlap on the walls would do to the acoustics in the theaters, the sound quality is great.

Eighteen volunteers worked under Jamieson’s direction. Members of his troop, friends and family were put to work removing and throwing out the burlap, vacuuming and then washing the walls. Dropping the burlap caused dust to scatter throughout the theatre so another group was put to work cleaning the walls and the seats.

Jamieson said he was pleased with the many volunteers and their hard work.