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Earlier this month, Cole Foster reached a milestone. A Life Scout from Troop 6516 and Fuqua School junior, Foster finished his Eagle Scout project during the weekend of April 15-16. 

He built six new picnic tables and two new planter stands for the Ruritan shelter on the Fuqua School campus. An Eagle project requires a Scout to plan and execute a service project that benefits the community. This project must be approved by the organization the project will benefit, the Troop leadership and the Scouting district leadership. The purpose of the project is for the Scout to put to use the leadership skills they have developed over the course of their Scouting tenure.

The project must involve other Scouts and volunteers and it is one of the last things a Scout must complete in order to earn the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America. 

Foster decided on new picnic tables and planter stands for the Ruritan shelter because he observed there was a problem. His mother works as a Lower School music teacher and during the COVID pandemic, had used the shelter space as a classroom. Now, the tables left behind were in really bad shape and dangerous for students or visitors to use. 

Developing a plan 

Foster presented his plan to Fuqua Head of School Chance Reynolds and Fuqua Director of Operations John Ellington, who both agreed that safety was an issue and that improvements were necessary. 

Once Foster gained permission from all required parties, he presented the idea to the Fuqua School Parent Teacher Student Association, which wholeheartedly agreed to fund the entire amount needed for the build. School officials say his choice in project has drastically improved the space and will allow for more use of the shelter in the coming years.

Foster’s fellow Scouts from Troops 6516 and 1896 came out to help him complete the work and, with that help, they were able to assemble all six tables and two stands in a total of four hours.