With a sweep of the pen in 2009, Stephen D. Bechtel, Jr., and the Bechtel Family foundations secured 10,600 acres of wooded land in West Virginia. It was for the Boy Scouts of America. Hence, the start of The Summit Bechtel National Family Scout Reserve. Site of the 2013 National Jamboree.
“The Summit Bechtel Reserve” is the fourth national high adventure camp for the BSA. As such, it has become the permanent site for the National Jamboree.
The Bechtel foundations donated $50 million to the BSA to help develop what is now “The Summit Bechtel Reserve.” It was the largest charitable donation ever made to the Boy Scouts of America.
More than anything else, Mr. Bechtel credits the BSA with building the strength of character that would allow him to lead others throughout his life.
Mr. Bechtel as photographed for the sculpture. Completed 8-foot monumental bronze unveiled at “The Summit”. Mr. Bechtel donated millions for the creation of the Summit Bechtel Reserve high adventure camp for the Boy Scouts.
Tom, a hunter, has many friends who enjoy hunting to provide meat for their families as well and when one of them recently tagged out with a buck antelope, they called Tom to come take measurements for us sculpture.
It was important to Tom that the foundry we used in Wyoming to cast this into bronze, Eagle Bronze Foundry, do the patina in real life colors and shades. He wanted the wildlife bronze of the antelope to look like they had just stepped up to the waterhole.
It is a true pleasure to finally have one of Tom’s many public monumental bronze sculptures in his hometown. The sculpture is located in front of the government offices complex of the Town of Prescott Valley in front of the Police Department at the corner of Skoog and Lake Shore. It is along a favorite walking and running path and, thus, is able to be enjoyed by many folks in Prescott Valley.
The sculpture scene is available for recast in life-size and in the tabletop versions. Small wildlife desktop bronzes of the javelina eating cactus are available at Ian Russell Gallery downtown in Prescott Valley and are named “Snack Time” by Tom White. Call for information or to have your own custom wildlife scene for your ranch, farm, town or park designed by Tom.
