This Boy Scout had a vision. A year after he died, his Chester community made it happen

Hundreds of Chester County, SC, residents stood in the hot sun Sunday afternoon to remember Evan Bass and unveil the project he started before he died -- a prayer building behind the Chester County Coroner’s Office.

Evan, a Chester County high school student, athlete and dedicated member of Boy Scout Troop 61, died in a tragic ATV accident on April 10, 2020. He was 17.

His death struck at the heart of the Chester community. His grandmother, Linda Tinker, recently retired after 28 years on the city council, and his grandfather, Terry Tinker, is the county coroner.

Behind Evan’s family, who sat near the prayer building, community members of every age stood shoulder to shoulder. Firefighters in uniform stood together in support of Evan’s father, Bobby Bass, a firefighter. Others wore black suits despite the 90 degree heat. U.S. Representative Ralph Norman, who has Chester as part of his district, and Chester County Supervisor Wiley Frederick were there too. The Chester High School Varsity Soccer Team wore their uniforms, honoring the young man who once had been their teammate.

And Scouts of every rank stood in uniform, traveling from all over to remember Evan.

At the time of his death, Evan was working to become an Eagle Scout. The journey to accomplishing Boy Scout’s highest honor has 10 requirements. Evan had one step left — to complete his Eagle Scout Service Project.

An Eagle Scout Service Project has to provide community impact. Almost 14 months later, Evan’s community finished his project. Sunday, the prayer building, was completed and given to the county.

Dedicated to Evan’s memory, the square brick building provides shade and a quiet place for grieving families, opening up to a garden behind the Chester County Coroner’s office. A lantern flickers day and night, what his family calls a reminder of Evan’s constant presence.

The site will be called “The Evan Bass Memorial Prayer Garden.”

Evan’s Vision

“Once people leave (the coroner’s office), they have nowhere to go,” Terry Tinker said. “I have people from North Carolina, from everywhere, and when they walk out of my office, I have just delivered them bad news. Evan knew that there needed to be a place that they could go sit down as a family. There weren’t even seats outside, no benches. They needed to talk about finances, what to do next, how are we going to take care of our loved ones.”

Evan wanted to solve that problem.

“We needed a place for them to go. (Evan) drew a little circle and he drew another circle inside that. He said, ‘that’s going to be their place to meditate.’ He called it ‘the prayer building.’”

One circle for the building, one circle for a fire pit or some source of light, which ultimately became the lantern.

Evan decided the prayer building would be his Eagle Scout project. And he got right to work, Tinker said. Evan figured out the measurements and materials that would be needed -- how many two-by-fours, how many two-by-tens.

Evan left behind his plans.

His family knew they wouldn’t let his project go unfinished, Tinker said. “We knew we wanted to see his vision. So we took what he left behind and we made it happen. We took his vision of a circle, and we made this happen.”

Funds for the building came from companies, private donors and anonymous donors. Through newspaper articles and word of mouth, people all over the county contributed, Tinker said. He remembers purchasing the lantern. When the seller heard Evan’s story, she donated it.

And with the help of volunteers -- friends, community members, scouts and parents (some laying brick, or building the wooden pillars that support the ceiling, some bringing water) -- Evan’s dream, piece-by-piece, came to life.

The building also honors fallen police officers, emergency responders, firefighters and service members. Benches inside the structure show their etched names.

The end of a journey

The county supervisor accepted the prayer building on behalf of Chester County.

“This was the vision of a young man, a teenager,” County Supervisor Wiley Frederick said. “We now have a prayer building, a place where we can come to pray for people who are experiencing all kinds of misfortunes, of tribulations. We can truly say now in Chester, we have a prayer building.”

Taylor Thomas, assistant scout executive at the Palmetto Council of the Boy Scouts of America, certified Evan’s rank. Thomas knew Evan well -- a native of Chester, he and Evan’s father had taken Troop 68 on camping trips.

“At this point, with the culmination and dedication of Evan’s prayer building, Evan has finished his final requirement of his journey to Eagle Scout,” Taylor said.

“The Eagle Scout rank is the highest and most coveted rank in the scouting program. Fewer than six percent of all

Boy Scouts in the United States will ever reach the rank of Eagle Scout.”

With tears in their eyes, Aiden Roberts and Cole Taylor, members of Troop 61 and Evan’s close friends, fixed pins to the breast pocket of Evan’s parents, grandparents, and little brother 11-year-old Brady Bass. They embraced each person.

The Palmetto Council of the Boy Scouts of America also presented the Bass family with the Spirit of the Eagle Award, a posthumous award recognizing the achievements of Scouts who lost their lives to “untimely accident or illness.”

Remembering Evan

Evan is remembered as a son, grandson, brother and friend.

In a speech given at the dedication, Norman spoke of all he had learned about Evan, his family and friends. Norman said he also had read the eulogy on the House of Representatives floor, and it will be reflected on the 117th Congressional Record.

“Evan was a well rounded, deeply engaged and hard working young man,” Norman said. “He was described by the athletics department as a true teammate, who had a genuine love for everyone he met. He taught us to always care for others, to be selfless, to have fun, and to love.”

Evan’s mother, Wendy Tinker Bass said: “Evan was very special to all of us. The day he left us was tragic for our family. But we know where he is, and that God welcomed him home, and he is watching over us.

Evan loved the University of South Carolina Gamecocks, enjoying a lifelong rivalry with his mother, who loves the Clemson Tigers, she said. Evan’s brother, Brady,will follow in his footsteps in the Boy Scouts program.

“I miss him,” Brady said. “I know I’ll see him again some day.”

Brady looked to the sky. “Evan, I hope you love the building,” he said.

A light that won’t go out

On Monday, Evan’s grandfather sat in his office. From his window, Tinker says, he can see the prayer building and the lantern.

The lantern is affixed with an eagle at the top. When they found the lantern, Tinker said, “It was something from God, just falling in place.”

Already, several people have to come to sit inside the prayer building. Tinker sees each one and knows his grandson created whatever comfort they find. As Tinker worked, he kept an eye on the prayer building.

“I know (Evan) is looking down,” he said said. “He’s sitting on that bench. He’s looking at me right now.”