Canyon Lake will be receiving two more Little Free Libraries thanks to Boy Scout Luke Thomas of Troop 2011.
To earn the rank of Eagle Scout, Thomas must perform a community project to learn leadership, planning, and service. For his project, Thomas chose to build and install a Little Free Library in his community.
To pay for his project, Thomas held a garage sale and sought donations. He also received product discounts from Lowes, Joe’s Hardware, and the Little Free Library organization. Due to the success of his fundraising efforts, Thomas had enough funds to purchase supplies to build two Little Free Libraries.
Thomas assembled the libraries last week with the help of his twin brother, Matthew, and fellow Scouts. He used the tools his den leader gifted him during his Arrow of Light year in Cub Scouts.
At the direction of the POA Recreation Committee, the libraries will be installed at Happy Camp and near the mailboxes on Vacation Drive across from Green Pine Drive. With the assistance of the POA Operations Department, Thomas will be installing the libraries in mid-December, weather permitting.
Once the libraries are installed, 14-year-old Thomas will be eligible to go before the Eagle Scout Board of Review panel. The Eagle Scout rank is the highest rank in the Scouts BSA program.
According to scouting.org, only eight percent of all Scouts earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 2019. The average age of a youth earning Eagle Scout in 2019 was 17.3 years of age.
Little Free Library is a 501 nonprofit organization that promotes neighborhood book exchanges, usually in the form of a public bookcase. More than 90,000 public book exchanges are registered with the organization and branded as Little Free Libraries.
