YOUTH DIVES INTO PROJECT

Swimmers at Tyler Independent School District's aquatic center can store their gear in new lockers provided as a community service. The project involved many groups led by a 13-year-old eighth-grader striving to qualify for Eagle Scout rank.

Shane Bjork, a member of Hubbard Middle School's swimming team and Boy Scout Troop 369 at Pollard United Methodist Church, spearheaded a successful fund-raising drive for approximately $5,500 to purchase the lockers and also organized volunteers to rip out old lockers and install the new lockers.

His leadership and commitment to the project were exceptional, said Scoutmaster Jim Cousineau. The purpose for the community service project requirement to qualify for Eagle Scout rank is to give Scouts an opportunity to demonstrate leadership, Cousineau said.

Funds raised to carry out most Eagle Scout projects are in the $500 range, but Bjork chose to raise significantly more in order to complete the locker project, rather than only install a portion of the needed lockers, Cousineau said.

Bjork did a fabulous job, said Matt Franks, swimming coach, who helped the youth come up with creative ideas for his community service project required for Eagle Scout ranking.

The recently installed plastic lockers - 30 in the boys' locker room and 30 in the girls' locker room - were desperately needed, Franks said. The new lockers replace rusting old metal lockers put in the aquatic center several years ago after having first been used in a middle school.

"It's great to see how the entire swimming community came together on this to help out," Frank said, voicing surprise over the amount of funds donated. "It was exciting to see how much people from areas throughout the community were willing to help."

Bjork organized and planned strategy for raising the funds from local community leaders, businesses and others. He knocked on doors letting people know about the need for the new lockers. Swimmers on school district teams and the USA Club Tyler swim team chipped in. Boy Scouts, swimmers and other assisted with the manual work.

The coach, scoutmaster and his parents helped in an advisory role.

The youth, son of David and Sheri Bjork, set a personal goal to finish requirements for Eagle Scout rank before his 14th birthday on July 26, which he believes would make him the youngest Eagle Scout in his troop. His brother Jacob, 16, and his father are already Eagle Scouts.

He has been in Scouting since 1998.