Boy Scout Builds Picnic Tables for Community Center

Thanks to T. Wade Russell's planning and carpentry skills, the has four new picnic tables.

The local Boy Scout of Troop #339, led by Scoutmaster Craig Lindsay, finished the project from the planning stages to completion in 42 hours and 30 minutes.

Scout parent Pete Freeman acted as adviser on the build and made a prototype of the tables, which took Russell and fellow members of the troop about eight hours to build.

The supplies were donated by Severn Home Services, Converse Builders, Johnson Lumber, Drs. Cheskis, Hooper, Schatz & Russell DDS, and Warren Klug.

Russell, who turns 18 on Saturday, is a senior at, and made the tables as part of his community service to become an Eagle Scout.

Russell said he and his friends spend a lot of time at the community center  and knew the center could put the picnic tables to good use. The planning stage was the most time consuming, but once that part was done, he said, the tables were built over a weekend, with the help of eight other scouts in his troop.

MaryAnn Neal, of the community center, said she considers the tables a Christmas gift. 

"Thanks to Wade, our staff, programmers, campers and everyone else who uses SPCC will have a spot to sit, relax and eat," Neal wrote to Severna Park Patch. 

Russell joined Troop 339, which meets at , when he was in fifth grade and has completed 21 required merit badges to help earn his Eagle rank.

Next, Russell will take his picnic table project outline and details to the District Scouting Council where he will meet with a committee of scout leaders in an Eagle Board of Review.

If his SPCC picnic table project is approved, he will be awarded an Eagle Scout-the highest rank in scouting.