Outdoor classroom completed for GH junior's Eagle Scout project

Sat, Nov 7, 2009    to del.icio.us

GRAND HAVEN TOWNSHIP — Bob Whipkey instilled a sense of ownership and pride in outdoor settings for Ryan Rock during science classes at White Pines Middle School.

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Now 16, the son of Jon and Merry Rock has just about completed the requirements to become an Eagle Scout. The teen said Whipkey's teachings were instrumental in what the Boy Scout did.

"When I was in seventh grade, (Whipkey) was always concerned with the nature center," said Rock, now a junior at Grand Haven High School. "He would always take us back there to clean it up."

Over the years, the area behind White Pines Middle School — which contained an adventure center — had deteriorated. Rock said the adventure center wall had become dangerous and the benches for the outdoor classroom were falling apart.

Rock said when it was time to do his project, he decided he wanted to do something for the middle school. So he approached Whipkey, who — with fellow WPMS instructor Bob DeBruyn — helped Rock come up with the outdoor classroom project.

"I drew up the plan of what I wanted to do and they said, 'Go for it,'" Rock said.

The first phase of the project, started about a year ago, was to clean up the area, Rock said.

"We had to tear down a wall, take out a bunch of trees and tear out the old benches before we could do anything else," he explained.

Fellow scouts from Spring Lake's Troop 14, family and friends helped with the effort.

Some of the materials donated for the project came from a Muskegon business which was closing.

Ryan's father, Jon, lost his job when the Sappi paper mill in Muskegon closed this past year, but he was able to get the mill to donate some equipment to the project.

The equipment — 32-foot-long fiberglass trays used to hold cables at the mill — were cut down to make the 16-foot benches and a podium.

"I tried to make everything indestructible to kids ... something that would last for a long time," Rock said.

Rock said the fiberglass pieces were used to form the structures, then were covered with resin decking.

The classroom-building project was completed early this month. Rock said it has three benches — enough to hold 40 kids.

In the spring, Rock said they plan to lay wood chips created from the trees cut out of the area.

"The trees were turned into the city of Grand Haven and they were going to chip them up for us," he said.

Rock has been involved in scouting since the second grade and also keeps busy with band and lacrosse. He works Sundays at the Covenant Life Church Loading Dock Coffee shop and recently became employed as a lifeguard at the Grand Haven High School Aquatics Center. He worked the last four summers at Gerber Scout Camp volunteering as a camp counselor for at least three weeks each summer. He is active with the Haunted Hall which is the largest fundraiser for the scouts of Troop 14. He has been instrumental in the building, running, and tear down of the hall.

Scout leader Curt Brower spoke highly of Rock.

"I have gotten to know the Rock family with their involvement in scouts," Brower said. "Ryan's project is a great one and will be used for many years to come. I can tell there was a lot of thought and preparation done with this project and ranks right up there as one of the best."

Rock's former teacher said he was proud of Ryan and the effort.

"Ryan is an outstanding young man who has decided to give back to his school and his community," Whipkey said. "His example is not only for scouts, not only for young people, but for us all. Ryan has always given back, always cared. His Eagle project will benefit future students for years to come."