Eagle Scout Renovates Former Middle School Courtyard

There is a new Eagle Scout in Lake Zurich: Alex Cooper. As a Lake Zurich High School senior from the Class of 2020, Alex was recently awarded his Boy Scouts of America Eagle Scout rank after his Board of Review on Wednesday, May 6, 2020.

Alex's Eagle Scout project benefited Lake Zurich Middle School South, where Alex fondly remembered his years in middle school. In the fall of 2019, he led a project to renovate the school's overgrown courtyard by assembling four benches, weeding the area, hauling over 23 yards of mulch and constructing three decorative 7-foot sign posts. He managed more than 400 volunteer hours of on-site work which improved the appearance and health of the middle school courtyard. Alex mobilized 62 Scouts, friends and local volunteers, and raised in excess of $2,000 to fund the project's material costs. As part of the requirements to earn the Eagle rank, a scout must plan, develop and provide leadership to others in a service project helpful to any religious institution, school, or community.

"As I prepared and executed my Eagle Project, I have found I am not afraid of guiding and motivating fellow scouts, approaching adults, speaking in front of a room full of people, and preparing for different scenarios. These fears would have been hard to overcome if I had not participated in Scouting," Alex said.

Alex is an active member of Troop 335 from Palatine, which is sponsored by All Saints Lutheran Church and serves the youth of surrounding communities. While a scout, Alex had over 100 nights of outdoor camping and organized over 20 events for his troop. He also had the opportunity to join over 30,000 scouts at the 2017 Boy Scout National Jamboree, to lead a winter dog sled team in northern Minnesota's Boundary Water territory, to sleep on the deck of a 40-foot yacht for a week along the Florida Keys, and to spend seven days white water rafting, biking and hiking in West Virginia. Besides his Eagle rank's service project, Alex also accumulated hundreds of service hours by collecting items for local food pantries, participating in conservation projects at local forest preserves, and serving the surrounding community.

Alex continuously thanked the 62 people that volunteered and assisted him during the eight on-site work days at the Lake Zurich Middle School South courtyard. "I truly appreciate your support and the project could not have been completed without their help," Alex was noted saying. In addition, Alex was extremely appreciative of the many adults that dedicated their time to mentor and coach him throughout his Scouting career. "My Scoutmasters, coaches, and teachers have taught me many skills that I will be using both in college and throughout my life."

Since 1912, more than 2 million Boy Scouts have earned the Eagle Scout award -- Scouting's highest rank advancement. Eagle Scouts exemplify the virtues of service and leadership, using their training and influence to better their communities and the world. Becoming an Eagle Scout is a significant life achievement, with expectations of lifelong community, business, and family responsibilities. The obligations as an Eagle Scout include honor, loyalty, courage, service, and vision. By meeting these obligations, the Eagle Scout can lead their troop, their community, and their nation toward a better tomorrow.

Alex will be continuing his education at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, where he plans to study Aerospace Engineering.