By Ryan Haslam, Newhall Community Contributor
Alex Haslam has set the bar high for his five younger brothers by earning his Eagle Scout award at the relatively young age of 15. Alex started scouting when he was a cub scout at 8 years old and has learned leadership and life skills that will benefit him in his schooling and future career, as well as being a positive citizen of his community. “The best thing I’ve learned from scouting is to be responsible and follow up,” said Alex, “It took persistence. Becoming an Eagle Scout was not easy and took way more work than I thought it would.” The Court of Honor will be held on October 5, at 7 p.m. at the LDS Church on Peachland Avenue, in Newhall. Anyone who wishes to attend is welcome.
While earning his Personal Management financial merit badge as a young scout, Alex gained the entrepreneurial spirit and started his own business at the age of 11. Together, with his nine year old brother Benjamin, they established Furiously Fast Flyers in 2013: a home-to-home flyer delivery service that they accomplish while skating on rollerblades. Since 2013, they have delivered tens of thousands of flyers throughout the Santa Clarita Valley. And, due to large demand, he has recruited two more brothers to help with the deliveries.
Alex was also a Bugler for his troop for several years. This skill was developed in the Placerita Junior High Band under the direction of Kathryn Spula. “I can only say glowing and remarkable things about this impressive young man, so ready and able to achieve,” Said Spula, “Alex IS a symbol of hard work and leadership.” Among other accomplishments, Alex earned first chair in the prestigious Wm. S. Hart District Junior High School Honor Band. He is now playing for Hart Regiment and the Hart Jazz Band.
Alex has learned a love of outdoors through his many adventures in scouting. This led him to create his own unique campsite at Castaic Lake for his Eagle project. For three full Saturdays, Alex had teams of volunteers ride in a boat to the North shore of the lake where there is an abandoned campsite from the 1940s. Under his leadership, the volunteers cut down dead trees, removed brush, restored 5 tent pads and created a fire pit area, complete with an impressive wood bench, made of scraps from the downed trees.
Sadly, his campground burned to the ground during the “Lake Fire” only four months later. The campfire area, including the fire pit, are still intact, however. There is talk about his younger brother, Benjamin, doing his own Eagle Project to fix up the decimated area. “I have thought about my Eagle Project,” said Benjamin, who is a Life Scout at age 13 [only one rank below Eagle], “It would be neat to improve the campsite to make it even better now that all of the dead trees are out of the way.”
For more on the Furiously Fast Flyers, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/FuriouslyFastFlyers
