Click Play to see a fascinating CD of the project.

                                                       July 19, 2008
Son Center Eagle Project
By Doug Loehr
Examiner Staff Writer

Chris Geeslin, 17, of Rushsylvania, is going to be a homeschooled senior this year, and is on an amazing journey to accomplish becoming an Eagle Scout before his 18th birthday. That’s the cutoff date for Scouts earning merit badges.

What’s amazing, however, is that Chris only became a member of Boy Scout Troop 51 of Lewistown in February 2007. And in that short amount of time he accumulated a large number of merit badges, and he plans to accumulate eight more this summer which would bring his total to 50.

His Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project is to renovate a room at the Son Center, 8144 County Road 54, Lewistown. That includes tearing out existing walls and ceilings and replacing them with drywall, adding electrical wiring and insulation and building a computer bench. In addition, Chris had to tear out rotted flooring and replace it with new concrete flooring and carpeting. After a fresh coat of paint, the room was ready to become a study center, complete with six rebuilt-from-junk computers, for area students using the Son Center.

Materials for Chris’ project, including the computers, were donated by area churches and other individuals.

“I recognized the need for the project, not only for the lower income family environment, but also for study groups out of the classroom environment,” Chris explained. “I’ve always enjoyed working with computers, so this became a natural selection for me.”

Chris is known as a hard worker, and spends much of his spare time working with his grandfather Leslie Geeslin, also of Rushsylvania, whether it’s helping in the yard or with gardening, or in surveying land and lots.

“There aren’t too many kids these days getting the kind of encouragement that Chris gets from his grandfather,” said Chris’ mother Jan Geeslin. “And because Chris has ADHD some of the school work becomes harder for him than for other kids his age. So you can probably imagine how surprised I was when he announced last year right out of the blue that he wanted to be a Boy Scout.”

“Mom’s always told me to shoot for the stars and I’ve taken it literally,” Chris added. “The only thing left for me now is to submit my paperwork to the Tecumseh and National Boy Scouts of America Councils.”