Scout working toward becoming an Eagle Scout

Photo and story by Robin M. Woolson
Grand Island Dispatch, May 14, 2004

Eagle Scout candidate Jeffrey Stange takes some time with members of the Golden Age Center Computer Club in front of the newly acquired equipment with Erie County Legislator Charles M. Swanick, Town Supervisor Peter McMahon and Golden Age Center Executive Director Barbara Gannon.

For many people, working on a computer is a way of life. They may need the equipment to do their job or they use it for recreational purposes, such as surfing the World Wide Web. But for others, especially senior citizens, they are taking the opportunity to learn how to work a computer and see all the places they can go once they do get on-line.

And in making that happen, Grand Island Boy Scout Jeffrey Stange worked his project around that idea.

Stange, from Troop #254, has been in Scouting for almost 10 years and has a deep fascination with computers. Because of that attraction, he decided that was what he wanted his project to involve in some way or another.

"I needed to get an Eagle project that I could do easy, and since computers come easy, I was able to mix the two of them together," he said.

The sophomore at Grand Island Senior High School spent time at Town Hall upgrading the server before heading over to the Golden Age Center.

When he got there, he helped to modernize the Computer Technology Room so that the senior citizens that utilize the facility almost daily have someplace where they can learn about computers and get some experience going on-line.
"I wanted to help because I heard they were in need of assistance since they had 'dinosaur aged' equipment," he said.

Around the same time, Erie County Legislator Charles M. Swanick, R-Tonawanda/Grand Island, had been contacted by the Golden Age Center to see if there was any way to obtain some updated computers for the facility.
With the help of the Legislator and the Erie County Department of Information and Support Services, six computers were brought to the Golden Age Center on Whitehaven Road.

Stange spent more than 100 hours getting the computers to the point where they were ready for use by the senior citizens.

Stange said his love of computers came several years ago when he took his father's old computer apart and started clicking away.

"I learned how to do it all on my own with just going through things step by step," he said.

The Eagle Scout is the highest award a Boy Scout can earn.

The computers came from Erie County, which has upgraded to a new system which can do everything that is needed.

"We could have thrown the computers out," said Swanick. "But now they are being put to good use."

Swanick said this was a benefit to the Golden Age Center since the Computer Club is "one of the most popular events at the center."

Golden Age Center Executive Director Barbara Gannon said that this was very important for the seniors.

"There is so much interest in computers and getting on-line," she said. "The group seems to be growing with word of mouth."

Gannon said there are about 20 people in the computer club.

"This is so much better than what we had," said Gannon. "We can now get on-line. Before, we didn't have enough memory to do so."

Swanick said that those who come to the Golden Age Center can now come and learn how to use the computers.

"We have made an arrangement to make the computers available free to non-profit organizations or government based groups, such as this," he said.

The Legislator said that similar programs of offering computers to senior centers will also be done in Kenmore and the city of Tonawanda in the coming months.