As Boy Scout Colin Irvine considered what project he wanted to undertake to earn his Eagle Scout rank, he came up with an idea that involved a hobby he enjoys: woodworking. He decided to build two benches for Waterford Place Cancer Resource Center, creating gardening work benches to benefit the garden club.
As Irvine, who belongs to Troop 501 in Naperville, worked on his project, he learned a lot about delegating and leadership. His friends and other scouts did the actual building following his instructions on how to measure the wood to get boards of appropriate lengths. Then, they assembled the benches, screwing the pieces together. When it began to rain as they were working, he learned the importance of quick thinking and being flexible, and they moved into the garage to finish their work. His friends returned for a second day of work to varnish the benches.
“I learned a lot about delegating, handling multiple things at once, flexibility and being able to adapt,” he says. “It also taught me about time management and doing things quickly.”
Irvine, now 18, is very proud of his project. “Scouting is fun,” he says, “and it was a lot of fun doing this together with my friends.”
