([ Portland], [Or], [08/17/04])— Recently Boy Scout Trevor Becker envisioned updating the church courtyard of West Portland United Methodist Church where his Scout troop meets every Monday night. His vision included replacing two small brick benches with seating that would encircle the entire outside foyer of the church. Becker managed to fine-tune his strategic plan and carry out his vision from start to finish.
After drawing up plans on the CAD computer at Benson High School, where he graduated with degrees in Industrial Drafting and Aviation, his assistant Scoutmaster Jim Alberton challenged him to “do the job right.” This is when the project took on a life of it's own. Benches were installed, but Becker's vision rapidly grew and is was soon deemed necessary to construct planter boxes behind the benches to beautify the project and install a sprinkler system to ensure the plants flourished. With help from fellow troop 229 members and adults over nine yards of soil were brought in to fill the boxes. Each load of soil was in a bucket and meticulously dumped into the planters so that no wheelbarrow gouges would detract from the newly designed boxes. Scouts removed and hauled over three trailer loads of overgrown shrubbery from the premises. The project took over 360 man-hours to complete and lasted over four weekends. Material donations covered two-thirds of the $4,500 project expenditures, the church completed the funding effort.
“The project ended up being a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be but well worth the effort,” said Boy Scout Trevor Becker. “The fact that the courtyard has already received considerable use just goes to show that the improvements were needed,” he said.
A dedication ceremony for the courtyard remodel was held July 11th. Just a short four hours after the dedication a picnic for the congregation was held in the courtyard and there was plenty of room for everyone to sit down and enjoy the beautiful day and the new surroundings.
West Portland United Methodist Church Pastor Robyn Yim said he was confident that this would be a place to gather and enjoy the blessings God has given us.
“We appreciate that this young man thought to give back to his community and the congregation,” said Yim.
About the Cascade Pacific Council, Boy Scouts of America
The Cascade Pacific Council ranks among the nation’s largest Scout councils (out of 319) in terms of membership. The Cascade Pacific Council serves more than 47,889 youth in 18 counties in northwest Oregon and southwest Washington, and is supported by more than 15,902 adult volunteer mentors.
Local Boy Scouts of America Accomplishments
This last year (2003) Scouts of the Cascade Pacific Council reached out to the community and achieved the following outstanding accomplishments:
Goodwill/Good Turn – Scouts collected 362,895 pounds of usable clothing and household goods for Goodwill Industries in 2004. Over the past ten years, 4.2 million pounds have been collected.
Camping Program – TheCascade Pacific Council has one of the strongest outdoor camping programs in the country, camping 11,000 boys at seven summer resident camps and ten day camps last year.
Scouting for Food – Scouts collected 519,766 pounds of food for local hunger relief agencies through the Scouting for Food drive in December 2003.
Guy Miller Tree Plant – Over 2,500 youth and family members planted nearly 37,500 tree seedlings in our forests and neighborhoods in support of the Guy Miller Tree Plant program. Since 1977, this program has accounted for the planting of more than 2 million trees.
Violence Free Spring Break – In partnership with the Portland Police Bureau, the Police Activities League, Multnomah County, Boys and Girls Club, and other organizations, the Cascade Pacific Council has planned, coordinated and staffed special events like “Violence Free Spring Break.” Over 375 youth were served for this event alone. These events use Scouting facilities and curriculums to deliver positive, values-based programs.
Outreach – Over $29,930 in scholarships was awarded to over 536 youth members for summer camp.
Harris Interactive Study– Men who were Scouts for five or more years as boys are more likely than men with no Scouting experience:
- Graduate from high school (98% versus 83%)
- Graduate from college (40% versus 16%)
- Earn annual household incomes of $50,000+ (33% versus 17%).
Visit www.cpcbsa.org or call 503-226-3423 to learn more about the Boy Scouts of America.
Boy Scouts of America - Connecting youth with communities and families.
This page last modified
August 17, 2004
