Chamber members help Alpine Scout project

-Article courtesy of the Alpine Chamber of Commerce – February 2012

As a member of Boy Scout Troop 105 in Alpine, Nathan Drinkwater needed to do a major community service project in order to become an Eagle Scout. Members of the Alpine Mountain Empire Chamber of Commerce helped the young Santee man, now 18, by providing a combined mission. Drinkwater landscaped the Alpine Woman’s Club gazebo area and created a second Kiwanis Club of Alpine memorial monument at the site. Both clubs are Chamber members.

Both Drinkwater and his father, Peter Drinkwater, thanked everyone who helped with the project. Nathan Drinkwater said he didn’t do it just to become an Eagle Scout, the highest Boy Scout rank. “It was to help the community,” he said. “When I reached that point of thinking that way, I think that made a real change in how I viewed the world around me.” He will officially become an Eagle Scout on Feb. 26 at the Alpine Woman’s Club.

As Drinkwater neared his rank goal deadline in 2011, the Alpine community helped him find a project, fund it and create it. One of the donors was Janet’s Montana Café, another Chamber member. “I got to work with Nathan and it was really a lot of fun,” said Kiwanian Dick Rabell, who helped Nathan with ideas and resources. “Believe you me, he’s going to be a very useful citizen.”

Troop 105 Scoutmaster Ed Thibault said the Eagle endeavor teaches Scouts leadership. “The average Eagle project takes about 100 hours,” he said. “Nathan’s probably took 150.” Peter Drinkwater said the Scouting program helped give his sons a foundation for life by teaching them skills and how to work cooperatively with others. “What Nathan got exposed to through the Eagle process is that there’s no such thing as simple issues,” the father said. “Nathan had a good solid bunch of people helping out.” Being part of Nathan’s project was wonderful and the Drinkwaters are “a very special family,” said Rita David, Alpine Woman’s Club president.