A group of Cub Scouts and their parents recently helped clean dozens of Civil War monuments in the Prince’s Hill Cemetery.

Sasha Meyer, who helped organize the event, said he had the idea while walking through the historic cemetery. The Barrington resident said he was visiting the gravesites for his grandparents when he noticed the condition of some of the Civil War monuments. The historic markers were covered with moss; Meyer said he could hardly read the names. 

He reached out to the Barrington Cemetery Commission’s Sue Cherau and Mike Soyka with the pitch: Meyer said the group of volunteers from his son’s Cub Scout pack could help clean the monuments, and he could share some of the history of the residents who served in the Civil War. Meyer said he found a book that offered information about the local veterans. 

“I thought we could tie it in to the holiday,” Meyer said, referring to Memorial Day. 

Meyer’s plan worked perfectly. A beautiful day greeted the group from Cub Scout Pack 1 Barrington. Seven Scouts and their parents worked diligently to clean the stone markers — first brushing lichen and moss off the monuments, then sponging on a biodegradable solution, and finally using toothbrushes to reveal the original stone. 

Meyer said the Scouts also seemed to enjoy the informal history lesson he offered about each of the veterans.

“I tried to make it a little more personal,” he said. 

The experience went so well Meyer and the commission are thinking about making it an annual event.