By Dean Vaglia
Leader Staff Writer
Andrew Cobble, Life Scout with Scouting BSA Troop 366, recently completed his Eagle Scout service project. Cobble installed a xylophone in Scripter Village Park on Monday, Dec. 13.
Cobble’s lifelong passion for music fueled the idea behind the xylophone project, though the concept first came to him while visiting a park with friends.
“I was at a park one time — I believe it was [in] Rochester — me and my friends were driving around and then we found a park and just sat down at it,” Cobble said. “There was a little xylophone thing tucked in the corner.”
The park xylophone had some music ready for players and Cobble found the instrument as a great way to teach kids how to read and play music, inspiring him to bring something similar to Oxford.
Cobble received help from many places while working on the project such as his dad in regards to finding materials, tools and painting; fellow 366 scouts in regards to installing the xylophone; Oxford Village Police Chief Michael Solwold in regards to getting the project approved and finding a place for it and many people from the Oxford High School Theater Program.
“The entirety of the theater department helped me out,” Cobble said. “The construction people who are always at the school, the music teachers who helped me understand why things do stuff [and] even my acting teacher [helped.] I came to her with some problems and was like ‘Hey can you come up with anything with this?’ and she helped me along the way.”
Cobble began scouting in the first grade on the suggestion of his father.
“My dad was originally like ‘Hey do you want to try and do this?’ and ever since I was kinda in love with it,” Cobble said. “My dad never forced me to do it; it was always a ‘Is this something that you want to do?’ kind of thing.”
Over the years Cobble stuck around due to enjoying the troop’s company and the various unique trips and experiences that came with the journey, which is quickly nearing its end. All the documents for the project and Eagle rank were turned in on the 14th, meaning Cobble got everything in just under the wire — he turned 18 on the 20th.
“I submitted my paperwork to the council which is a statewide thing, and once that gets approved, I meet with a committee of my troop,” Cobble said. “If I pass that, at that point I’ll be Eagle.”