South Winneshiek sophomore and Ossian resident Austin Covell sits on the bench and cement pad that he recently completed for his Eagle Scout project. The bench is located at Ossian City Park, just feet away from the tree that Ossian’s Troop 88 planted in memory of Austin’s grandfather and longtime Scoutmaster, Jack Jaster. (Zakary Kriener photo)
Keeping the tradition
Zakary Kriener
News Writer
zkriener@fayettepublishing.com
For Ossian resident and South Winneshiek High School sophomore Austin Covell, earning his Eagle Scout merit is something that truly means a lot to him.
Covell, who has been active in Scouts since he was old enough to enter in the first grade, is the grandson of former Scoutmaster Jack Jaster. The longtime leader of the Ossian scouts served from 1988 to 2004. Austin’s father, Chuck Covell, is also very active in the scouts. He has served as Scoutmaster for the past several years, having also served as Cub Scout leader in Ossian since the early ‘90s.
When it came time for the 15-year-old Austin to decide on a project to undertake for his Eagle Scout project, the choice was easy.
“When grandpa (Jack) Jaster died in 2011, all of the Scouts decided to plant a tree in the City Park,” explained the soon-to-be Eagle Scout. “So I decided to install a new bench near the tree in the park for my Eagle Scout project this summer.”