Community Service

The Scout Oath includes the phrase “to help other people at all times,” which reminds us to always be of service to others. Project planning should begin by discussing various service ideas with your fellow scouts and SPL. Adult leaders, your chartered organization, and the local government are also good resources for ideas. Projects will be more meaningful and fun if they are well-planned.

Several sources exist to help plan a troop service project including pages for already planned events as well as contact information for additional agencies:

United way of Buffalo

Volunteer WNY in Collaboration with the United Way

List of other Community Organizations and Contact Numbers

Provided by Clarence Senior High School

CHS Community Service Approved List Revised 07/01/2015

Your project should:

Be significant. The project should be something important. When it’s done, everyone should be able to look back with satisfaction on an effort that has made a difference in your community.

Be democratic. Scouts are more likely to buy into the project if they have taken an active part in selecting, planning, and organizing it.

Be clearly defined. A project must have definite beginning and end points, with logical steps in between. A clear goal allows everyone to measure the progress along the way, and increases everyone’s sense of participation and pride in a job well done.

Be well-prepared. This begins long before the project starts. Ask these questions: What is the project’s purpose? Who should be contacted as resources? How many Scouts must be involved to complete the work in the allotted time? What tools or resources are needed? What safety issues must be addressed?

Be promoted. Promote your project within your community. This will not only provide additional workers, but will increase the visibility of Scouting and the impact it has on your community. Create a yard sign that says “Pack/Troop/Team/Post/Group No. ___ Service Project” or “Scouting Supports Our Community.” (Ask the quartermaster about using Troop 93’s service banner)

Include reflection and recognition. When the project is complete, spend 10 or 15 minutes discussing it to review what went well and areas to improve upon next time.

Involving Parents in Planning and Implementing Service Projects

Participating in a Journey to Excellence service project is easy, exciting, and meaningful. To begin, your unit should recruit a unit service project coordinator, who should do the following:

• Share this information with your unit committee, and get their approval and commitment to participate.
• Promote the service project within the unit.
• Coordinate the service project throughout the unit.
• Involve Scouts and unit committee members in researching and deciding on a service project. Involve Scouts in all phases of planning the project.
• Recruit enough people to plan, conduct, and promote the project.
• Incorporate at least four service projects into the unit’s annual program plans.
• Enter service project data into www.scouting.org/Awards/JourneyToExcellence.
• Coordinate with district and council committees to promote events and report successes.
• Conduct an evaluation and discussion with Scouts.

Read More about planning service projects and their affect on public relations for the Boy Scouts of America. You can also learn more about how to report these service hours to National through the Journey to Excellence.