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A Scout is Kind and Helpful…to Our Communities
Community spirit is important now more than ever. Find a way to give back. At school, at a local shelter, or even at a neighborhood playground, there are many ways…big and small…to serve your community this summer. Here are a few ideas. Get creative! Make it your own, and make it count!
Ideas to get you started…
- If you know another language, be a translator at parent PTA meetings
- Foster a shelter animal or offer dog walking services
- Return carts for people at the store for an afternoon during a rainy day
- Write “thank you” notes to men & women in the military, first responders, healthcare workers
- Take treats to a local fire station
- Volunteer at a Community Center
- Offer to be an after-school tutor and help kids with their summer school homework
- Give free music lessons to a beginner
- Help coach a youth sports team
- Repaint basketball court lines and put up new hoops at school or an outdoor playground
- Volunteer for a local rec department
- Assist a community library with their annual book drive
Source: dosomething.org
What is an appropriate project?
As you are developing your ideas, please keep the following in mind:
- The service should adhere to and follow BSA standards and guidelines (i.e., Cub Scouts should not use power tools, YPT standards must be followed, etc.)
- The impact of any project should not benefit Scouting (i.e., trail maintenance at camp)
- Although Scouting should not directly benefit from the project, Scouting events can be launch points for serving the community (i.e., days of service as part of summer camp programming)
- You have flexibility to define what “service” is to you and identify topic areas that best resonate with you
Safety Guidance
Ask
When in doubt, ask! If you have questions about the appropriateness of a service project, talk with your unit leader. Unit leadership will be able to provide guidance as needed.