LymeLine.com

Community News for Lyme and Old Lyme, CT

Anyone for Bocce? St. Louis Renovates Lymes’s Senior Center Courts for Eagle Scout Service Project

by

Evan St. Louis’s volunteer crew stain the frame of the bocce courts before a new surface of stone dust was applied.

On Saturday, June 2, Evan St. Louis, Life Scout of Boy Scout Troop 26, completed his Eagle Scout Service project at the Lymes’ Senior Center on Townwoods Rd.  St. Louis’s project focused on refurbishing the bocce courts at the Lymes’ Senior Center – this included tree, brush, and weed removal, reconditioning the bocce court surface, cleaning and staining of the court frame structure, and installation of 2 wooden benches for viewing.  

Evan St. Louis (in orange hat) instructs some of his volunteer crew about the day’s activities.

The project benefits the Lymes’ Senior Center and community members, who can now utilize the courts again after they had fallen into disrepair over the years. 

This photo shows the state of the bocce courts prior to St. Louis’s project. Overgrown trees hang over the courts, which are full of weeds.

St. Louis gathered more than 30 volunteers for the event, who contributed an estimated 150 man hours to help accomplish this task.  His project involved some April and May pre-work with chainsaws, clippers, and a power washer by family members to address the impinging tree line, weed growth and mildew on the frame lumber.

Bocce in action by members of Troop 26 after completion of St. Louis’s project.

St. Louis said the most difficult task of the Eagle Service Project was the preparatory work leading up to the actual project day on June 2, and engaging area community businesses for donations or discounts of materials.    He is grateful for the following donations:

  • surface aggregate (stone dust) for courts from Adelman’s Sand and Gravel in Bozrah
  • transportation of the stone dust by Al Bond of Old Lyme
  • discounted lumber for his benches by Shagbark East Haddam
  • assistance with final tree removal by the Town of Old Lyme Department of Public Works
  • discounted food for lunch provisions by Big Y Old Lyme
  • a generous monetary donation to the project from VFW Post 1457
  • financial donations from several private individuals. 
Evan St. Louis and his project mentor Skip Beebe of Old Lyme. Beebe earned his Eagle Scout honor with Troop 26 earned in 1962.

He also benefited significantly from the guidance provided by his service project mentor, Arthur “Skip” Beebe, who earned his Eagle Scout rank with Troop 26 in 1962.

Evan St. Louis with Lymes’ Senior Center Director Stephanie Lyon-Gould holds two new bocce ball sets in bags monogrammed ‘LOL Seniors’ that St. Louis presented to the senior center.

Drawing off his fundraising efforts, St. Louis purchased and presented two quality bocce ball sets from LL Bean to Lymes’ Senior Center Director Stephanie Lyon-Gould for the members of the Senior Center to use on their revitalized courts.    

Our hearty congratulations to Evan on completing such a challenging and worthwhile project!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. What a wonderful project! Thank you Evan and the entire Troop 26 for taking care of our Seniors. It looks beautiful!

  3. Outstanding job Evan.
    So many senior citizens will share in the fruits of your labor.
    A job well done indeed!!!

  4. Great work Evan! you make us all proud.
    Congratulations on Eagle Scout, quite an accomplishment.
    And I’ll be using those courts in the not-too-distant future…