Boy Scout collects more than 300 books for school

Kenton Summers knows community service projects can be challenging, but the satisfaction of helping others is worth it.

The Mount Vernon Boy Scout recently donated more than 300 children’s books to Clear Lake Elementary School after organizing a community-wide book drive. 

“It makes me feel good knowing kids can have and use books,” he said.

Summers, 14, also donated more than 100 non-children’s books to the Mount Vernon Public Library.

The book drive served as Summers’ community service project that is required in order to be considered for Eagle Scout status.

Prospective Eagle Scouts are also required to demonstrate leadership skills and complete at least 100 hours of community service. Summers’ project took about 170 community service hours, which includes the help he received from fellow troop members and leaders.

Clear Lake principal Henk Kruithof said he was surprised with the amount of new and used books Summers donated in such a short time. He said he thinks the monetary value of the donation ranges between $1,000 to $1,500.

The books will be shelved in the school’s library and distributed to several classrooms.

To collect the books, Summers distributed collection boxes and fliers at a variety of businesses in Skagit County. Donations were collected from Dec. 6 through the Dec. 13.

Aside from book donations, Summers collected about $140 in cash donations that he used to purchase books for the cause.

Summers’ donation to Clear Lake Elementary not only benefits the students but the entire Clear Lake community, said Clear Lake Elementary School librarian Becky Philips. During the summer, the school library is open to students and other community members.

What’s impressive is that Summers got so much done in so little time, Philips said, adding that he’s very determined.

Kruithof said the school could not have purchased the amount of books Summers donated.

“We have a really limited budget with the times we’re in,” Kruithof said, adding that the school library relies mostly on book donations.

Kruithof said based on what Summers has accomplished so far, he can only imagine what he will achieve when he’s older.

“It’s just amazing that he did that,” he said.

Summers said his community service project taught him new leadership skills. He said he also learned the importance of pushing through challenges that a project may pose and that they can sometimes last longer than planned.

The satisfaction of helping others was an added benefit, he said.

“I know that every child deserves to read different kinds of books,” Summers said. “So I just wanted to do a book drive.”