Scout Andrew Buck works on the memorial site with his aunt and uncle, Robin and Danny Burke. (Photo by Shannan Johnson)
Drive down Devils Three Jump Road and turn into the Caroline High parking lot; you may find an interesting construction zone to the right of the blue water tower and before the soccer field.
That is the location of the Memorial Gardens. The project is being led by 16-year-old Andrew Buck and is dedicated to Caroline High students and staff who have lost their lives.
Buck is in Boy Scout Troop 173, Bowling Green, and is a candidate for the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank Boy Scouts can earn.
One requirement Eagle Scout candidates have is the service project. For his project, Buck decided to create a memorial garden to commemorate the deceased students and staff of Caroline High. It has a personal purpose behind it, as well.
“The reason why I’m doing this is because, in October 2013, I lost a very close friend of mine. And I wanted to do everything I could to remember her -– make t-shirts, bracelets, etc. – write notes on the school walls, paint murals, but I couldn’t,” said Buck.
“So I remembered that I had an Eagle project coming up and this was one of the things that I was like, ‘Okay, I can do this.’ And it seemed like we couldn’t go one grading year without losing a student. So, I was like, ‘Okay, instead of me memorializing one student, let me memorialize all the teachers, staff, and everyone else that we have lost here.’”
The Memorial Gardens has many components to it, some of which are still being completed. Among the highlights are the gray pavers, the dogwoods and a weeping willow tree. There will be stone pavers that the families of deceased students and staff can pay to have their loved one’s name engraved on. If you know of a student or staff member of Caroline High and would like to have their name engraved on a paver, call Buck. The five dogwoods represent five particular deaths affiliated with Caroline High, yet “they symbolize hope and joy,” said Buck.
There will be a weeping willow tree, which, according to Buck, symbolizes death. As the weeping willow tree grows and as its branches come down ,it looks like it is reaching out towards the loved ones. “As it rains, and as the water droplets go down the branch, it make the tree seem as if it is crying,” Buck said.
Buck hopes to buy a sign that will welcome people to the memorial as well as thank every person, group, and business that assisted with the project.
Buck regularly attends Spotswood Baptist Church in Fredericksburg and lives with his uncle and aunt, Danny and Robin Burke, who are not only supportive of this project but are working to get it built.
Buck broke ground May 30.
“But I’ve been working on this project since June of last year,” he noted.
The Memorial Gardens is intended to be completed soon, but not open to public use until August or September. Difficulties may delay the deadline, like rain, lack of volunteers, or insufficient funds to complete the memorial.
Buck is hopeful about the outcome of the project. “After almost a year of being delayed, it’s finally come along,” he noted,” adding that the weather has not been especially cooperative of late.
Before attending high school, Buck had worked with other students from Caroline Middle School on the Korean War Memorial there. He has some experience with the obstacles of constructing a memorial.
On May 30, Buck had four volunteers, including the Burkes. On June 6, he had six volunteers, despite a week of recurring rainfall.
“When this project gets done, and the public will see it, they’re gonna be very, very full of something, I’m sure. And I’m creating this memorial [so] the people who have lost a loved one, whether they attended Caroline High School or not, they can relax and reflect on the memories even if it isn’t a garden meant for them.” Buck said. “Because it’s not just meant for them, it’s meant for all.”
Buck is accepting monetary donations and seeking volunteers to help finish the gardens. If you would like to make a monetary donation, contact Buck Buck at (804) 317-1207. You can also contact his aunt, Robin Burke, at (410) 963-9049.
If you’d like to volunteer, first call Buck, and take a drive down Devils Three Jump Road, looking out for an interesting construction zone behind the high school/middle school complex.