Happy Birthday BSA! The Boy Scouts of America was incorporated and chartered by the United States Congress on February 8, 1910. That means this week, they are 101 years old! Last year, they reached a large milestone as they turned 100!

In the summer of 2010, Lifetime received a phone call from a 14-year-old Scout named Mason. He was calling on behalf of the Spectrum program at the local Burton Elementary School in Layton, Utah (very close to Lifetime’s headquarters). Spectrum is a program designed to provide activities for children who are academically gifted. Among their activities, they put on a play once a year, which we hear is a great performance. But he wasn't calling to talk just about the program; he was calling because the local Spectrum program had a problem that was putting their annual play in jeopardy.

He had heard through the Spectrum program that there was a problem with storage space. The program was storing their supplies in an old school, including many items for the annual play, and they needed to find a new storage location.  They had said that the annual play may need to be canceled if storage space was not found. Mason was familiar with Lifetime sheds, and he was also looking for a project to help him earn his Eagle Scout rank, the highest distinction awarded in the BSA which requires fulfillment of leadership, service and outdoor skills. He bravely took on this challenge, and contacted Lifetime to secure a shed.

In the meantime, Mason organized a fundraiser to help cover other costs of the project including pouring the cement pad, shelves and containers. He raised $690! He made a few more calls, and received more good news from the Davis County School District. They generously offered to pour the cement pad.

So the stage was set, and ready for the main event—putting together the 11’ x 13.5' Lifetime shed! Mason gathered his friends to assemble the shed. As expected, the work proved to be a great learning experience in patience and teamwork, as he worked alongside his peers to read and follow the step-by-step directions. They also gained great experience using tools, and identifying hardware and shed parts.

Today, Mason has earned his Eagle Scout rank and the Spectrum program has a spacious shed to store their materials. We look forward to more spectacular things from Mason and the Spectrum program, starting with their next annual play!