Nazareth Teen Turns 4-H Need into Eagle Scout Project

Eagle Scout projects come in all types. For Tyler Beam, a member of Boy Scout Troop 44, finding the right project took some time.

The senior said he first turned to his church for possible projects, but the possibilities at could either be finished quickly or were too involved.

Tyler just couldn’t find that one project that needed sufficient planning -- yet be doable and remain within a manageable budget, he said.

Then he saw the registration stand at the Northampton County 4-H Center in Bushkill Township. The building had a rotted porch, chipped paint and a registration window that swung up and out toward registrants. To top it all off, the window was only held up by a 2x4 plank of wood, Tyler said.

And that was it. Tyler knew the building would make for a perfect project.

Tyler started planning in January 2011 and by April, he was organizing volunteers -- many of them fellow scouts -- to help him tear down the old stand.

To fund the project, Tyler held several fundraisers, but he didn’t hit the jackpot until a family member suggested a Krispy Kreme donut sale.

“We sold tons of boxes,” Tyler said. “That Krispy Kreme fundraiser was the best idea we could have had.”

The doughnut fundraiser alone brought in enough money to cover all of the supplies for the project, Tyler said.

The only problem? Time.

It was nearly May and the new stand had to be completed by June 1 -- the day members of the 4-H center needed to use it.

To meet the deadline, Tyler and his crew painted the shed as they were rebuilding the deck. And he changed the registration window from one big door to two smaller doors. Tyler explained that the new system allows each door to open separately, and they swing inward and are secured with a latch hook.

“On the very last day, we got it done,” Tyler said.

Susie Beam, Tyler’s mother, said, “He’s a quiet but a determined young man. If he has a task he wants to do, he makes sure he gets it done.”

Tyler said following through with his Eagle Scout project helped him discover leadership he didn’t know he had.

Kaitlin Beam, Tyler's sister and a freshman at NAHS, said she had a feeling her brother would obtain his Eagle Scout award.

“I could see him progressing into and becoming more of a leader-type person,” Kaitlin said. “He was growing up and not being a goofy kid anymore.

“We’re all proud of him,” she added.

In addition to Scouts, Tyler is a certified scuba diver and worked last summer at in . At school, he is on the backstage crew for the theater group and plays softball and volleyball at his church.

After graduation, Tyler plans to major in ocean engineering and join the Naval ROTC program. He has applied to three colleges, but hasn’t made his choice yet.

During his years at NAHS, Tyler said his favorite classes were engineering I, II, and III. Some of the skills he "learned" in the classroom helped him with his Eagle Scout project.

“I like engineering, because it isn’t schoolwork you learn,” he said. “It’s schoolwork you do.”