“This project means more to me than anything I have ever done,” said Andy Robinson.
Robinson, 16, is a resident of Shelby and will be a junior this fall at Shelby High School. He has been a member of Boy Scouts since he was about 11 years old. “My older brother was in Boy Scouts and he had a great experience, so I thought I could join in the fun,” said Robinson.
In Boy Scouts, there are different ranks that can be achieved. The ranks include from lowest to highest: Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, and Eagle. Robinson is completing the stages to obtain his Eagle Rank, which is the highest rank. The Eagle Rank represents leadership and survival skills.
Robinson said, “Not very many get to the level to complete their Eagle Rank. It takes a lot of commitment and hard work.”
Toward completing his Life Rank, Robinson received a packet of information describing the steps to receive his Eagle Rank. He accepted the challenge.
There are many requirements that must be met in order to accomplish the Eagle Rank including completion of a community project. A project requires a tremendous amount of dedication and there is also a written piece included in the project. Robinson said, “The write-up includes accounting for the money and the steps that were taken for the project. There also has to be documentation for the stages of the project which can include a scrapbook displaying pictures.”
He explained, “Each project requires 50 hours of work, but mine has been about 120 hours and I am still not completed.” Robinson is constructing a Disabled American Veteran’s Memorial located in downtown Shelby. He said, “The process has not been easy, but the city has been a huge help and they have all been very supportive of my project.”
The memorial will be about four feet high with decorative blocks and a concrete cast. The decorative blocks will be tan. Last summer, Robinson set up a booth at Bicycle Days and sold bricks for the memorial. The bricks were $25 each and that included having them engraved. Robinson sold about 15 bricks last summer. He said, “I have received quite a bit of money in donations, too.”
Robinson plans on moving forward once he has completed his Eagle Rank. Robinson said, “I want to go to college to become a teacher. I would like to teach history, economics, or government at the high school level. Once I have completed college, I would like to join the military reserves or active duty.” Robinson displays hard work and discipline well beyond his years.
