16-year-old Boy Scout signs up to help

Cole Camp High School junior Talbert Richard has found a brotherhood in scouting, a place where he can hang out with boys his own age.

“We have common ties,” Talbert said, “and common beliefs.”

Talbert, 16, began participating in the Boy Scout program in first grade and it was an adventure from the very beginning. Talbert refers to his first fishing experience as a “weird story.” He said his troop traveled to a small pond and was using borrowed equipment. Talbert’s reel was broken, so his Scout master tied a 10-foot line with a bobber to his wrist.

“I got bored and fell asleep,” he said. “I woke up with a purple hand.”

But he was the only one to catch a fish that day.

His first time camping didn’t go quite as planned either. Talbert said he and three other boys were sent to find firewood and were thrilled to find a fallen tree. They enlisted the help of other troop members and dragged it back to camp only to discover they didn’t have an axe.

“It’s been fun,” he said.

Talbert, who was born in Texas, moved to the Cole Camp area when he was 11 and he found a troop to join in Lincoln. In December 2008, Talbert played a role in creating Troop 31 in Cole Camp. The troop has six members ranging in age from 12 to 17, and is recruiting three more.

“They are a bundle of fun,” he said.

Talbert became an Eagle Scout right after he turned 15. He said he was happy to receive the honor but disappointed because he missed his goal by one month.

“I wanted to do it when I was 14,” he said.

His mother, Camille Richard, describes her son as a hard worker who is easy-going and makes friends with everyone he meets.

“He is always willing to help out,” she said.

Talbert’s Eagle Scout project was a reflection of his helpful personality. After learning emergency personnel were finding it difficult to locate rural addresses in a timely manner, Talbert decided to make signs to mark each residence.

He began by collecting $3,400 from local businesses in and around Benton County. He used the money to purchase hundreds of blue reflective signs to which he adhered large white numbers. He sent postcards to the residents asking them if they would like their new address markers vertical or horizontal.

He made and installed about 400 signs at rural homes.

“I started at 7 a.m.,” Talbert said, “and I wasn’t finished until 10 p.m.”

Talbert’s project took more than 1,000 hours to complete. And he believes it was worth every second.

“It was a good project,” he said. “It is helping people because EMTs can locate homes quicker and save lives.”

Talbert plans to attend the University of Kansas to study architecture. After KU, he has his hopes pinned on achieving a master’s degree from Cornell University.

“I fell in love with building when I got my first Lego set,” he said.

Talbert says his ability to set and achieve goals is the result of being involved in scouts.

“Scouting is cool,” he said. “Bill Gates is a Scout.”

Class acts
Each Monday, the Democrat will tell the story of a student in the area who performs exceptionally well, in and out of the classroom. If you know a student, in kindergarten through college, who has made a difference or does something unique, let us know about it. E-mail your suggestion to tfennell@sedaliademocrat.com or awalther@sedaliademocrat.com or call 660-826-1000, ext. 211.