As a transgender woman, it's ironic for me to say that I was once an altar boy--or Boy Scout. Today, they are known as "altar servers" and "Scouts." But in my time, those positions, if you will, were open only to the young of the male gender.
Anyway, while I enjoyed some aspects of Scouting--which included the opportunity to earn merit badges for bicycling and reading, two things I have always loved to do-- I got distracted, if you will, and therefore never attained its highest distinction: Eagle Scout. However, Mason Tiller of Gulf Breeze, Florida recently achieved that milestone.
One requirement for attaining Scouting's highest rank is a community service project. Tiller came up with something I wish I could've thought of: building a bicycle repair station. To do that, of course, he needed to find a spot, the necessary equipment--and funding, which he solicited from local businesses and individuals.
Whatever else one might think of Scouting, I think it's great that the definition of "community project" has expanded and that the role of bicycling doesn't begin and end with earning a merit badge.
Note: The article I linked has a paywall. I wrote as much as I could about Mason Tiller, who deserves recognition for his efforts, as I could glean from searches.
