Elijah Fawson pays closer attention to fire hydrants now that he?s completed his Eagle Scout service project. He organized a group of about 25 volunteers to paint 75 fire hydrants around Iola this summer.
Now, when he drives through a neighborhood, he?ll turn a critical eye to the fire hydrants.
?I notice them a lot more, especially the ones I painted,? he said.
The project required a surprising amount of organization, Fawson said. He spent several weeks planning for the project, recruiting friends, family, friends from his church and other Boy Scouts. He separated the volunteers into five groups, and they fanned out across the city over two mornings in July.
He worked closely with Iola Fire Chief Tim Thyer, who agreed to let the group tackle a project that otherwise would have been done by fire crews. The city contains more than 280 hydrants. Initially, Fawson planned to paint about 42 hydrants, but a Scout committee member, David Lee, challenged him to do more.
Fawson re-evaluated, then set a goal of 75.
The actual work of painting the hydrants wasn?t difficult, Fawson said, but he learned some surprising trivia. The crew could only paint the yellow bases of the hydrants, not the caps. That was left to the fire department because the color of the cap signifies how much water, based on gallons per minute, the hydrant can release.
Crews also used a special oil-based paint provided by the fire department. Because the fire department provided the paint and supplies, Fawson?s project required minimal expense.
When they finished, he and his volunteers celebrated with doughnuts.
?That was a worthy reward for me,? Fawson said.
Elijah Fawson receives his Eagle Scout award. From left, Bishop Jamie Spencer, Nathan Fawson, Elijah Fawson, Robyn Fawson, and scoutmaster Gerald Adair. COURTESY PHOTO
After Fawson finished the project, he had to pass a board of review, which was chaired by the Osage Nation district advancement chair, Andy Dunlap, of Iola. He was sponsored by Troop 166, the Iola Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The organizational skills he learned were critical to obtaining the Eagle Scout rank, but they?ll be even more useful later in life, he said. He learned the value of sticking to a plan, the importance of completing appropriate paperwork and the danger of procrastination.
He?s been involved with the local Boy Scouts club since he was 8, and admits at times he wasn?t always motivated to give his best to projects. But now that he?s completed the Eagle Scout rank ? the highest achievement offered in Boy Scouts ? he appreciates the many steps and merit badges he earned to prepare him for the honor.
The Eagle Scout rank began in 1911 and about 50,000 Scouts earn the achievement each year. A 2012 study by Baylor University found Eagle Scouts were more likely to participate in health and recreational activities, believe in service to their communities, engage in behaviors that protect the environment and show greater tendency for emergency planning like having an emergency kit in their homes.
