Beaver Creek Eagle Scout project moving forward

A Havre Boy Scout told the Hill County Park Board Monday that his project to upgrade a site in Beaver Creek Park south of Havre is well under way, and he held a successful fundraiser last weekend with more efforts on the way to pay for the work in his Eagle Scout project.

Havre High School freshman Corey Lloyd said he made $410 selling bracelets and keychains during the weekend Christmas Bazaar at the Holiday Village Mall and received good support and interest in the project.

"I have had several people (who) said they would like to donate their time, and this week we are going to go around to businesses (to ask if they would like to donate or buy plaques at the site, " he said during the board's monthly meeting at the Hill County Courthouse in Havre.

He said he also has received a grant of $1,000 from NorthWest Farm Credit Services for his project.

Lloyd, son of Nicole and Terry Knowlton, is working on major improvements to a Beaver Creek Park site for his Eagle Scout project. Eagle Scout is the highest rank a Scout can earn in the Boy Scouts of America.

Lloyd, a member of Boy Scout Troop 1438, picked a major effort for his project.

His Hidden Hollows Campground project will reclaim a campsite, south of Lions Campground in the park, which has not been used for several years and has become overgrown. Lloyd said he believes his project will develop seven individual sites in the locations, with a picnic table, shelter with a concrete pad and a firepit in each site.

Lloyd is selling dedications to be placed at the campsites as part of his fundraising efforts. His brochure lists eight picnic table dedications available, at $225 each, seven shelter dedications at $500 or split into dedications of the roof or frame at $250 each, dedications of the concrete pads at $275 each, fire pit dedications at $125 or dedication of an outhouse to be repaired through the project at $200.

He also said he is looking for people interested in volunteering time or items to help with the project.

Lloyd said he plans to start working on preparing the picnic table this winter, with work clearing the sites and then making the improvements next spring or early summer.

He said he is in the process of designing brochures and flyers describing his project, which will be distributed around the area.

Lloyd told the Park Board he originally planned to budget $7,000 for the project, but he has upped that to at goal of $10,000. Any excess he raises toward the project will be donated to the park, he said.