Scout's Bike Rack Project Helps Edgewood StudentsWhenever possible, Edgewood Middle School seventh-grader Frank Sexton likes to bike a half mile from home to school.
But when his school’s old bike rack was torn out during renovations, and the school unintentionally overlooked replacing it, the last thing Frank wanted to do was lock it up against a chainlink fence. For his Eagle Scout project, the 13-year-old member of Troop 726, North Webster, decided to build a new bike rack and donate it to Edgewood.
“I decided to do it as an Eagle project to help out Edgewood. I approached the principal (JoElla Smyth) about the project. She asked how and why I’d be doing it. I told her I’d make it where it was a donation and would help kids by being physically healthier by biking to school,” he said during an interview Tuesday, the next-to-last day of school for Warsaw Community School Corp.
Amy Sexton, Frank’s mother, said he came up with the whole design by himself. She said he used AutoCAD to determine the lengths of steel he would need, the angle of the bends and the design, with a little assistance from his dad.
Frank began the project about two months ago. With help from his father, Ed Sexton, and brother, Charlie, 11, they were able to get some donations for the project. Buhrt Engineering provided the carbon steel tubing to build the rack as well as concrete anchors. Purity Gases provided materials to help with the welding.
Troop 726 Scout Ethan Hays helped with the painting. It’s orange with a Warsaw Tigers logo on the end as well as the phrase “Teamwork makes the dream work.”
Scout Evan Brower also helped on the project. Charlie helped install the bike rack with the use of a hammer drill.
All together, Frank said it took about two weeks to build and install.
He said the new bike rack is better than the old one or using a fence to lock up his bike.
“It helps improve the school spirit and it’s just a relief to me that I don’t have to chain my bike up to a chainlink fence,”?he said.
While the project will help Frank earn his Eagle Scout rank, he said he still has paperwork to fill out and more badges to earn. It also helped him learn “leadership and to help guide Scouts by using the EDGE method.”
EDGE is an acronym for Educate, Demonstrate, Guide and Enable, he explained.
As an avid bicyclist herself, Edgewood art teacher Sherri Johnson said she appreciates Frank’s efforts. When she heard what he was going to do, she offered her assistance, but they got it done so fast, it was complete before she knew they had started it.
Smyth said, “Frank made an amazing contribution to Edgewood Middle School that will serve our students for many years. His creativity and the incredible workmanship for this new bike rack provides an attractive option that encourages students and staff to ride their bikes to school.”
