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Colton Debish, son of Darrell and Sara Debish of Driftwood, completed the planning and construction of a new two-stall vanport for the Burke Center for Youth last weekend. Debish led the project with guidance from adult leaders, working for 7 weeks to complete the structure.
The project is the capstone of his requirements to earn the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Scouting in the Boy Scouts of America. Debish is a member of local BSA Troop 280 in Dripping Springs.
Debish started in Scouting at age 8, and was inspired to pursue the rank of Eagle Scout from the beginning. “I was little when I started, but always knew the goal was to be an Eagle Scout just like my dad,” he said. His father, Darrell Debish, is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and serves as a commissioner for North Hays County EMS District 1.
Debish said his first Scouting outing was to a water slide park, “but then we went to the USS Lexington for my first campout, and I was hooked!”
The van port Debish and his team built for the Burke Center for Youth now shelters two passenger vans. The structure is a treated-wood frame with metal sheeting for the roof. It stands 12-feet high, covers 520 square feet, and is supported by 6-by-6-inch posts set in concrete footings. It is the newest addition of more than two-dozen scout-led projects on the Center’s 55-acre campus in Driftwood.
The project cost $5,000, with most of the materials from the Dripping Springs Home Depot. Due to the height of the structure and use of power tools, safety was a primary concern. The team used a steel scaffold and required hard hats while constructing the rafters and roof sheeting.
Debish and his volunteers, which included Scouts and their parents, worked Saturday mornings starting in September, finishing the project last weekend.
“My dad, Darrell Debish; my mom, Sara Debish; my brother, Hudson Debish; Mr. Ed Muth, my Eagle project leader; Mr. Dan Wattles; and other Scouts, including James Muth, James Wattles, Caleb Soileau, Keats Beasley, Cadel Beasley, Charlie Snow, Blake LaBelle, Grayson Anderson, and Issac Ferreira, all helped on this project,” Debish said.
He said the project took 241 hours to complete, with all labor volunteered by Scouts and their families. “I learned to make a plan, create the right team, and work through challenges together,” Debish said. “The support from adults and others is priceless.”
As a Scout, Debish has earned numerous awards, including Life Scout, National Youth Leadership Training graduate, Sea Base Camp graduate, Order of the Arrow, Den Chief, Chaplain’s Aide, Firem’n Chit, and Outdoor Ethics Guide.
Recently, Debish completed a three-day hike in Moab, Utah, as part of a freshman wilderness retreat with Valor School of South Austin. He’s also hiked trails in Hawaii, Finland, and throughout Texas.
“I enjoy that Scouting builds character and life skills into those who might not have them otherwise. Scouts teaches you how to be a leader and a good citizen,” he added.
Reflecting on his experience, Debish said he learned that “if you keep trying, you can succeed. You can’t always do things alone, but with community support, you can.”
Eagle Scout projects not only benefit the community but also foster leadership by requiring Scouts to secure resources and funding. “I had many groups and individuals who helped fund my project,” Debish said. “Sponsors included a private philanthropist, the Dripping Springs VFW, Dripping Springs American Legion, Capitol Rod and Gun Club, Dripping Springs Lions Club, Dripping Springs BBQ Cook-Off Club, Frontline Advisory Group, St. Martin’s Knights of Columbus, Dripping Springs Home Depot, and Cole Landscaping of Blanco. I’m grateful to them for making this project possible.”
Exploring various merit badge activities, Debish discovered a passion for computers and virtual reality gaming, and he plans to pursue a career as a game beta-tester and programmer after high school.
