Eagle '04

Damp

It's a little rainy outside, which isn't exactly the best weather in which to transport fifteen monitors in the open bed of a pickup truck. Maybe next week.

Movin' on up

Stopped by Cavender Auto's Kia Satern dealership today, where a man named Jack Mitchell - the Saturn team leader - donated four computers, two monitors, a printer, three keyboards, and a few mice. Every single thing he donated is high-quality stuff; I actually use the printer he donated, as well as one of the keyboards and computers. George Gaytan donated another two computers yesterday, to top that off. I've also been offered something like fifteen to twenty monitors; more on that when I find out how I'm going to transfer the blasted things.

Poster

Spent about 45 minutes yesterday designing a poster and writing up a speech. I'm thinking that I'll put up three posters around school: one on the office, one on the cafeteria, and a third in the computer lab. A fourth will, once I get permission, go up at Alamo PC, a computer organization based in San Antonio. I'm probably going to give the speech tomorrow or Friday; I'm thinking tomorrow. I'm uploading a copy of the poster right now, and here's what the speech is going to be.

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Hey. I'm JR. For the past month and a half or so, I've been researching and drafting a proposal for my Eagle Scout project. The general idea of the project is that I'm going to get about forty computers donated and, with the help of eleven volunteers, use the best parts I've got to rebuild the things and end up with at least fifteen of the best ones we can make. I'm going to donate those to the Cassiano Homes Resident Council, a low-income housing project; residents will be able to use job-search utilities online to get jobs and new homes, and their kids will be able to have access to the Internet. Well, last Wednesday, I got it approved, which basically means that I can actually start doing it now.

That means that I've got to get these things donated. If you have an old computer lying around the house, please let me know; what would help even more is if you'd ask your parents to see if the companies they work at could spare some old computers. I have a website up and running which I will update pretty much constantly on the project's progress; I've got the official proposal up there already, which will tell you much more about the project than I can right now, as well as some photos. I've got fliers down here with the website URL, along with the email address that you can contact me at and my home phone number; please pick one up here after announcements if you think you can help. I'll also make sure that fliers are readily available around the campus.

If all goes according to plan, I'm also going to have a Krispy Kreme sale to raise funds for the project; you won't only get tasty donuts, but also campus service hours if you volunteer to help run the sale during your free period. Again, if you think you can help, please pick up a flier down here after announcements.

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The flier will have a summary of the speech as well as the following information:

JR Heard

(210)-824-4443
electricidiom@aol.com
http://electricidiom.typepad.com/eagle
The best way to contact me is by email. Check the site every day or two for updates.

Wow.

So I've mentioned to two or three people that my project was approved and I made this site, but haven't really publicized it yet. I went to school today and was informed halfway through the day that my guitar teacher, George Gaytan, had donated two computers, a monitor, three keyboards, three mice, and a printer to my cause. Add that to the computer and box of hard drives I've been given, and you've got an amazing amount of donated equipment, given that I haven't actually straight-out asked anyone for donations yet.

The Writeup

So it begins. I'm going to use this site to let people know about my eagle project so that they can hopefully give me a hand (advice, donations, that sort of thing). If you want to help me, drop me an email.

Allow me to explain. I've been a Boy Scout for a few years, moving up the ranks one by one. The highest rank in scouting is known as Eagle rank. To become an Eagle Scout, one has to plan, carry out, and report about a project that will be beneficial to the community, shows leadership, and will last about 5 years as a minimum. The leadership part is very important. I'd like to become an Eagle scout, so I have to do one of these dreaded projects. I've so far spent about twenty hours planning this project, meeting with people, and working on the official proposal. Last night I went before an Eagle board made up of Scouting officials from my district and presented the project proposal to them. I was approved, so I can now go ahead and do the project. It's going to be a busy few months.

I could explain what my project is, but the writeup following will do a much better job than I ever could off the top of my head. If you don't want to read the whole thing, please at least read the first section - it will tell you generally what I will do. If you want to know all the details, check out section 6. Here you go!

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PROJECT DESCRIPTION

1) Describe the project you plan to do.

For my Eagle Scout project, I will obtain thirty to forty computers that will be donated from local businesses. I will make announcements at my high school and put up posters advertising the project and encouraging people to donate their old computers. With one trained volunteer and ten others enlisted from my Computer Science class, I will go through these computers and assemble at least fifteen computers of the best possible quality. These computers will be given to the Cassiano Homes Residency Council. I am in contact with Fernando Alexander, the president of the Cassiano Homes Residency Council, and he is very enthusiastic about the whole idea. His vision is to empower the residents of the Homes to get jobs and become self-sufficient. He plans to use about fifteen computers to set up a cyber-café open to the community. It would be known as the Cassiano Homes cyber-café.

He also plans to enlist the aid of a computer expert to teach courses to those who do not know how to use computers. The headquarters of the Council already has the space necessary for these computers, as well as tables to put them on. Fernando plans to get a license to sell food and then open up the Council’s kitchen to the public, selling things like tacos and coffee; this would help make the Council itself more self-sufficient. Fernando plans to use these computers to allow the residents of Cassiano Homes to secure jobs. Cassiano Homes is a non-profit organization made up of 450 housing units containing about 2000 people. If given jobs, these people could move on from the Homes and get their own places to live. Fernando sees the Homes as a stepping-stone to a better life.

2) What group will benefit from the project?

Cassiano Homes Residency Council (210)-438-5023

2919 South Laredo San Antonio TX

3) My project will be of benefit to the group because:

Members of Cassiano Homes will be able to walk to the Council’s meeting room and have free access to computers. Adults will be able to use job search utilities online to find a job of their own. Children will be able to use the computers to do research and complete school projects. More than anything, adults will be empowered to get jobs and then get places to live; Fernando sees Cassiano Homes as a stepping stone to a better life.

4) This concept was discussed with my unit leader on _1/14/04__

5) The project concept was discussed with the following representative of the group that will benefit from the project.

Fernando Alexander 1/20/04

President of the Cassiano Homes Residency Council 438-5023

6) Plan your work by describing the present condition, the method, the materials to be used, project helpers, and a time schedule for carrying out the project. Describe any safety hazards you might face, and explain how you will ensure the safety of those carrying out the project.

I will go about obtaining donations in several ways. For one thing, I will make announcements at my school during a time when the whole high school is gathered together. I will also make posters to be placed around the campus; these posters would encourage people to donate their old computers. I will contact just about every adult I know and ask if they or their company has old computers that they would like to donate. In fact, I have already had four people promise me that they could each give me one or two computers and a fifth person can get ten from their company – and I haven’t even asked anyone to donate anything. These people came up to me once they heard that I might be doing this project. In other words, I anticipate no trouble in the donation process.

Donated computers will be kept in my father’s storage area. With a group of eleven volunteers, one of whom is qualified to teach a course on computer disassembly and reassembly, I will replace obsolete parts in certain computers to make sure that the maximum number of computers meets or exceeds my specifications. The finished computers will need to pass the following minimum requirements: 600 mHz processor speed, 64 MB RAM, internet-capable. The construction of the computers will take place over a space of three consecutive Saturdays.

During the time that the computers are being donated, a fundraiser (or fundraisers) will also be held. This fundraiser will take the form of a Krispy Kreme donut sale, a bowl-a-thon, or both. Before I hold either, however, I will contact the school administration for approval of using their grounds for this purpose. I anticipate no resistance, as fundraisers like these are done approximately biweekly on the campus. Krispy Kreme offers a fundraising program where one buys donuts at fundraising prices (about half price) and sells them for full price, keeping the profits. I would hold the fundraiser at my high school, putting up signs a week in advance to let people know when to bring money. This has been done at my high school before, and each time this fundraiser has been held the school has bought all 100+ dozen donuts before lunch. To keep the sale going even while I’m in class, I will enlist volunteers to operate the booth during their free periods. I won’t have any trouble finding volunteers, as the school’s principal has said that volunteers involved in an on-campus activity will get campus service hours, which are required for graduation. For a bowl-a-thon, I would schedule a day to bring the entire Scout troop out to a nearby bowling facility on Austin Highway. Weeks before this, I and several volunteers would go door-to-door (in uniform) and distribute forms for pledges. I would also have forms readily available at school. These pledge forms would have spaces for the name, address, and phone number of the one pledging; a list of names of scouts accompanied by directions to circle one; and a space where they would fill in how much money they would pay for each pin knocked down by their selected scout (anywhere between 10 and 75 cents). Once filled out and completed, the forms would be returned to me. On the appointed day, the whole troop would go out and bowl a few games, making sure to get documented proof from the owners of the facility. I would then call up each person who pledged and ask them to either bring the money they owe to school (assuming they picked up the school forms) or make an appointment for a time when I could drive by and pick up the money. These fundraisers will pay for necessary equipment (printer paper and ink for forms, materials for posters, screwdrivers, and necessary licenses for Windows software for the computers).

Once enough computers have been collected, I will bring in a volunteer to teach a course on computer disassembly and reassembly to all the participants. This will take place on a Saturday at my father’s storage facility. Once this is done, the computers will be broken down for parts. If parts are so old that they are deemed unusable, they will be set aside to either be disposed of or donated to another charity.
Currently, the corner of the Cassiano Homes community room near the kitchen is empty except for a few tables. There is a counter dividing the kitchen and the community room, behind which the kitchen can be found. The finished computers will go on these tables and will be open for public use.

As computers are donated, I will ascertain the specifications of each one and document them. If they do not meet or exceed the standards that I have stated above, I will put a mark next to which specific part is deficient. Once the donation process is complete, I will have the trained volunteer teach a course on how to build computers to all of the participants in the project. I will then split the volunteers up into pairs and let each pair take apart and put back together some of the more obsolete computers. Then the volunteers will go through each computer and test the parts to make sure that they all work. There is no internet connection available at the facility that will be used, so I will bring in software to test the network cards. Parts that do not meet the predefined minimum requirements will be replaced. The materials to be used on the project will be computers donated from various companies and my classmates; printer paper and ink to print out posters and forms; screwdrivers to take apart the computers; and Windows products for the computers. I will recruit ten volunteers from my computer science class to rebuild these computers. I will isolate three consecutive Saturdays in which to complete the project. On the first Saturday, I will have the trained volunteer teach his course and have each pair rebuild two or three computers. On the second Saturday, they will rebuild the remaining computers; the third Saturday will be spent cleaning the computers and installing any necessary software. This includes Windows software such as Internet Explorer, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft PowerPoint; I will contact the Microsoft corporate offices via e-mail and request that they donate the licenses for this software. When volunteers arrive on the appointed days, I will have them fill out a sign-in sheet and note the time that they began work; upon their departure, they will sign out, noting the current time. This will allow for easy and accurate tabulation of hours spent working on the project. The rebuilding process will all occur at my father’s storage site.

The computers will be kept in the community room of the Council. To bring the computers to the facility, I will rent a U-Haul trailer and put them all in it, making sure to secure them and put protective bubble wrap in place. I will contact the U-Haul corporate office and see if they will donate the trailer. If they don’t, renting the trailer for the time frame needed will not cost more than $50. The computers will be kept very safe thanks to the building’s security system consisting of locked doors, security cameras, and protected windows. To make sure that computers won’t be deemed unusable if they freeze up and need to be rebooted, I will train the Council’s volunteers in basic computer skills so that they know how to perform basic maintenance on them.

The only real safety hazards associated with computer construction are electrocution and dust inhalation. Electrocution can be avoided by simply unplugging the unit before opening it up. Dust inhalation can be handled by buying a few boxes of cold masks from Walgreens.

TIME LOG:

Saturday, January 10, 2004: Spent 1 (one) hour researching
Wednesday, January 14, 2004: Spent 1 (one) hour working on the proposal
Saturday, January 17, 2004: Spent 30 (thirty) minutes working on the proposal
Monday, January 19, 2004: Had an appointment to meet with Fernando Alexander. Drove 30 (thirty) minutes each way, waited in the parking lot for 1 (one) hour because he didn’t show up.
Tuesday, January 20, 2004: Met with Fernando Alexander at the Cassiano Homes Residency Council headquarters for 1 (one) hour. Spent 30 (thirty) minutes working on the proposal.
Wednesday, January 21, 2004: Spent 1 (one) hour working on the proposal with Mike.
Friday, January 23, 2004: Spent 30 (thirty) minutes working on the proposal. Set up and completed the time log.
Saturday, January 24, 2004: Spent 30 (thirty) minutes working on the proposal. Detailed how the Krispy Kreme and bowl-a-thon fundraisers would work.
Sunday, January 25, 2004: Spent 30 (thirty) minutes working on the proposal. Determined the minimum specifications of the rebuilt computers. Spent 45 (forty-five) minutes meeting with the family to discuss the progress of the project.
Monday, January 26, 2004: Spent 15 (fifteen) minutes working on the proposal. Refined the Krispy Kreme fundraiser paragraph and added information about transportation.
Tuesday, January 27, 2004: Spent 30 (thirty) minutes working on the proposal. Changed the format of the proposal and contacted Fernando, asking about a meeting next Monday along with permission to take photos.
Thursday, January 29, 2004: Spent 1 (one) hour working on the proposal. Finished it up in the new format.
Friday, January 30, 2004: Spent 30 (thirty) minutes working on the proposal. Looked over it and finalized it.
Sunday, February 1, 2004: Spent 30 (thirty) minutes meeting with the family to discuss the progress of the project.
Monday, February 2, 2004: Spent 30 (thirty) minutes working on the proposal. Filled in blanks and added a cover sheet. E-mailed Fernando to confirm a meeting tomorrow.
Tuesday, February 03, 2004: Met with Fernando at Cassiano Homes. Obtained his signature on the proposal and took photos. Drove 30 (thirty) minutes each way for a combined total of 1 (one) hour driving time, plus 30 (thirty) minutes spent meeting with him.
Wednesday, February 04, 2004: Spent 45 (forty-five) minutes working on the proposal. Implemented Mrs. Gittinger’s suggestions by putting the fundraiser info and the numbers on the project all together in their own sections. Rewrote a few paragraphs. Spent one (1) hour driving to school, proposing the eagle project before the troop board, and driving back.
Saturday, February 07, 2004: Spent 30 (thirty) minutes working on the proposal.
Saturday, February 14, 2004: Spent 45 (forty-five) minutes working on the proposal.