Raynie's Eagle Scout Project Results in Two Cannons Cleaned at GSC
Raynie's Eagle Scout Project Results in Two Cannons Cleaned at GSC
BY KATHERYNE A. FIELDS, Director of Marketing
Two military cannons were cleaned at Gordon State College recently, completing the three-week project led by Boy Scouts of America Troop 38 Senior Patrol Leader Tobias Raynie.
Raynie initiated the service project as his work towards earning the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank a Boy Scout can earn. He earned the rank of Life Scout in 2019 and hopes to finish Eagle Scout by the end of the year. To attain the honor, a Scout must plan, develop and lead an Eagle Scout Service Project that benefits a religious institution, school or community. Such projects cannot be commercial or solely fundraising.
“We are so pleased and honored that Troop 38 would offer this cleaning project,” said Director of Facilities Reggie Hamm. “Those young men, their families and their leaders worked hard in the heat to make the cannons shine. We appreciate their efforts.”
While attending a 1960s class reunion, Gordon Military College alumnus Jack Winover observed an opportunity to fulfill a public need regarding the cleaning of the cannons, which he polished as a cadet in the 1960s. Winover entered the US Army 1966-1975 after graduation from Gordon and was a combat helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War. A retired career helicopter pilot, Winover and his wife Susan live in Arizona and funded the project.
Winover asked his cousin Troop Committee Chairman John Briley, also a Gordon graduate and Barnesville resident, to look into a professional cleaning service for the cannons. Briley could not find one and suggested it might be a good Eagle project for Troop 38.
The original plan was to restore the cannons, made in 1862, to their original brass look, however the delay in cleaning over time and chemical reaction and oxidation on the canons have been permanently affected, resulting in a copper-like appearance at their most clean state. The projected required 44 bottles of Brasso metal polish, 1 bottle of white vinegar and multiple scouring pads and cleaning cloths.
Raynie is a junior at Lamar County High School who is also a 2nd lieutenant company commander in his schools' Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC). He is the son of GSC Professor of English Stephen Raynie and his wife Joanne. His older brother, Jacob, earned his Eagle Scout rank. His younger brothers, also scouts, Benjamin, Caleb and Josiah assisted with the cleaning, along with Briley and scout Sam Oliver. Three generations of Edwards, scout Sam, his father David and grandfather Donald also aided the project.
Troop 38 was founded in February 1946 and has met continuously in Aldora Park behind Lamar County High School. The troop meets 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays abiding to health and safety precautions, under the direction of Scoutmaster John Gassett. and is currently sponsored by The Aldora United Methodist Church and the Town of Aldora.
