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Scout builds stage for Avoca Museum events
By Mark Thomas/Altavista Journal Staff Writer
Thursday, July 2, 2009 9:49 AM EDT
Friday night, Scratch Gravel Road used a new piece of equipment for its performance during Thank Goodness It's Friday at Avoca.
The band played and sang from an 18-foot-square stage on the Avoca lawn.
The stage was a recent Eagle Scout project of 17-year-old William Adams, who will be a senior at Altavista High School this fall. Adams, who lives in Hurt, is a member of Boy Scout Troop 155 in Concord.
A week before TGIF, Adams and dad Blane were at Avoca putting the final touches on the stage, which is made of a longer-lasting mix of wood and plastic. The substructure is made of wood and concrete
"I've always had an affinity for this place. I wanted to do something that meant something to me," Adams said about his project. "It just fit my bill."
Adams said Brian Davis, a scout leader, suggested the project. After getting approval from Avoca, Adams had architect and scout leader Gary Harvey design the stage. He checked prices, made his purchases, and got friends, other scouts and family to help. He said it took about 18 months from the idea to finishing the stage. It only took eight workdays to build the stage.
Adams has some paperwork to finish before getting his badge. He hopes to have it before the end of the year.
The project was a lot more than construction.
"They want us to learn how to manage the project, how to organize the project and how to lead the people you have carrying it out."
Adams estimated the project cost about $1,200, counting the discounts he obtained and the volunteer help. He said it would have been much more if Avoca had hired a contractor. He said the materials alone would have cost $3,000.
"It just opens up many opportunities for people to do things a little better than in the past," Frank Murray, Avoca's director, said about the stage.
Besides the chamber of commerce's Thank Goodness It's Friday, the stage will be handy for weddings and Avoca events.
Adams started in Cub Scouts and has been in Boy Scouts since age 12. He got involved through Gavin Dawson, a friend on his soccer team.
He said he'd enjoyed the interesting people he'd met and the opportunities scouts had provided. Last year, Adams said he went whitewater rating on the New River and rappelled down a 100-foot cliff. Later this summer, he'll attend an Order of the Arrow conference in Indiana.
Adams has also been involved in community service through scouts, including working in the gardens at the D-Day Memorial in Bedford and maintaining the scout camp in Pulaski. He's also helped with other Eagle Scout projects.
Besides scouts, Adams is on the soccer team at Altavista High School and is a member of the Latin Club and National Honor Society. He also attends the Central Virginia Governor's School for Science and Technology in Lynchburg.
He's a brown belt in karate, plays chess and loves horseback riding. His career goal is to be a veterinarian.
He's the son of Blane and Patsy Adams.
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