Service Project Ideas

[ScoutParent]

Let's share some service project ideas. Recently a group our family is involved in sponsored a project providing Backpacks filled with school supplies to students whose family's might not be able to afford it otherwise. Okay, now your turn--some different service projects that you have done.

[sctmom]

This wasn't done in Scouting, but still a great idea. A department store chain was expecting huge crowds for the back-to-school sale, which happen to also be "sales-tax-free day" in our state. Instead of hiring extra help just for the weekend they ask for volunteers that support different charities. The money that would have gone to pay temporary help goes to the charities. I think you do have to be 14 or 16 years old to do this.

 

We helped bag clothes at the cash register, straighten clothing on shelves, put shirts on hangers, etc. Each volunteer worked a 3 hour shift. On that day only, the volunteers qualified for the employee discount.

 

I think about 4 different charities were represented -- domestic violence shelter and a children's shelter among them.

 

[dan]

Did this at a pack meeting, but could be used at a Court of Honor, by a scout doing a service project.

Cost of entry to into the pack meeting was one can of food. Which was given to the local food pantry. (of course if someone forgot they where let in!) We collected about 6 boxes of food. This was at the December pack meeting.

 

At a December Court of Honor a Scout requested baby items (diapers,powder, rattles, formula) Which was place under the Xmas tree at the COH.

[Bob White]

As a cubmaster we had an annual event the boys really liked to do.

 

During the month of november each den made a different Holiday ornament (we had Christian and Jewish members so we did Holiday activities not Christmas activities). Each scout made two, one for his familiy and one for the pack holiday tree.

 

At our December holiday party we decorated the holiday tree (we found that even our jewish families did this at home) and as cubmaster I delivered it to a needy family that was identified to us by the local fire department.

 

The siblings of the cubs decorated another tree with children's winter hats, gloves and mittens. This was given to the Salvation Army.

 

Parents baked cookies and placed a variety into gift bokes that were distributed to needy families by the grade school principal.

[akela]

We have done the following or I have been involved in the following scout projects. We have several historical military sites, that are let go and every 5 to 7 years we clean them, cut brush and get presentable again. Also we have painted a huge retaining wall in our town that tends to collect grafite, we have planted trees, we have reconstructed an Indian that is made of cement that stands in a historical park( seems that the rivial town continues to beat him up) We have most recently rebuilt belchers at a little league baseball field. I have also known of one scout that built wood duck houses and put them out at the local lake. We also had a scout do a control burn at this place that we camp. It was a great idea and helped us get rid of the old grass and underbrush so that the area would be safer and not get out of control should it begin to burn by wildfire. We also readily help at our local Girl Scout camp to clean, remove dead wood, etc.

[ASM7]

Supermom

I know you meant bleachers, but I got a kick out of the belchers at the little league field. I think it would be a great service project for someone who knows more about computers than I do to let us know why you get double posted. I know you tried.

 

[Bob White]

Scoutmom,

Your doubleposts are quite probably caused by double clicking on the submit button or by hitting ENTER after putting in your username and password and then hitting Submit.

 

Try getting in the habit of single clicking on submit only OR just hitting ENTER after you put in your username and password.

 

If this doesn't work consider using the edit function to go into one of the posts and erasing its content.

 

Hope this helps,

Bob White

[akela]

working with these boys I think and hear more belchers than talk about the bleachers! LOL

 

I tried to delete the second message and it deleted both! So I retyped it and will ask a computer guru that I know. I only hit the post button once and when I hit enter it just moves me down a line.

 

CLR(This message has been edited by supermom)(This message has been edited by supermom)

[jbroganjr]

My wife and I where able to get the pack to go along with this idea. We would ask the community liason (school nurse) for needy families at the Holiday times. We would give each den a shopping list or the option of donating money and the pack committee would do shopping for the families. We based number of families on willing participants. We never know who the stuff is going too, as they are identified by number (also not the type of person who wants that knowledge)

Now for the troop, I was able to talk the boys into caroling at the homes of people who where sick or infirmed. the idea came to me and I shared it with the boys when one scouts mom had terminal cancer. We never went to their house, as they did not want us to, but the boys decided to go ahead anyhow, contacting local priest, ministers, etc and we had a great go round to about 10 houses. Why we where outstanding, earning a bucket, because we couldn't even carry a tune in a bucket ;-}

[ScoutParent]

Our cub scout pack bought gifts for the local children's home. In our den we set up with a department store to have a table to gift wrap customer's purchases (for donations only). After we were done wrapping gifts for the day, the boys packed up the tables, etc and we went shopping together for our gifts for the children's home and then we wrapped them at the next den meeting. A representative from the children's home came to the pack meeting and you never saw more proud boys taking gifts.