100th anniversary themed project

[jamist649]

Our Pack is beginning to brainstorm on 100th anniversary themed service projects for the upcoming year. What I (CM) want to do on a Pack level is collect 100 teddy bears to give to the local Highway Patrol to give to children involved in vehicle collisions. From what we hear, these bears that the officers give to the chldren are a Godsend and a source of great comfort to the kids involved.

 

My question is: How do we go about collecting them? Do I ask for each Scout to ask family members and friends to donate 3 or 4 through them (We have about 30 Scouts), do I ask the community to donate and designate a drop off site, or...how? I'm new to Scout leadership and we've never done anything like this before in our Pack anyway, so I'm kind of at a loss. Plus, I need to know ASAP, we've got a pack Meeting in little over a week and I wanted to announce it then!

 

Thanks!

[shortridge]

Both approaches sound like good ideas - maybe ask each Cub to donate a bear, and then do a collection drive.

 

Given that it's a 100th anniversary project, though, you might want to wait until after the holidays to kick it off, to avoid conflicts with Toys for Tots drives, etc. You'll still have plenty of time in 2010 to get it going. You could always do a 'soft' start now and do the public drive next year.

 

Don't forget working with the local media! If you can put together a kickoff event with the local highway patrol and have a trooper on hand who can talk about the importance of these bears, that would be a great hook for the press.

[SSScout]

Messr. Shortridge gives much good counsel. Media is important.

 

Now as to the contributed critters...If it's a new stuffed animule, no problem.

 

If it's a gently used, but USED item...

Enlist the help of a neighbor dry cleaner and arrange to have your collected menagery cleaned. This will prevent the allegation that the huggy critter is DIRTY. Then, add a distinctive ribbon/bow (bright red? Scout green? Red, white and blue?) to mark your effort but no "donated by" or name tag. That's not the important part. Wait... name it "Cubby?" Nah.. too obvious. Still, might be right.(?)

Wrap it up in a cellophane bag to keep it fresh and ready for it's "life saving" duty, as it will no doubt be stored in the police or ambulance "special equipment" box in the trunk or cabinet.Ummm. A bag labeled " OPEN IN CASE OF NEED FOR HUG" in big red official letters. I bet some STAPLES or SPEEDY COPY would make those for you for free.

Remember, the foam filled huggable critter need not be a "teddy", but could be a bunny or tiger or go-rilla.

Ha! a go-rilla named Cubby!

A hundred Cubby-s in a hundred squad cars and ambulae. I like the idea.

A really Good Turn, Helping people at all times, and being Cheerful, too. Don't stop at a hundred.

 

KiSMiF

 

YiS

[Shriscov]

That is a super project idea. You know it's going to get presented to my pack, with full acknowledgement of the source. Our tigers and parents were brainstorming project ideas and it seems the environment and recycling our popular ideas.

[RememberSchiff]

Whenever the laws of any state are broken, or when the welfare of its citizens is endangered, each state has a duly authorized organization that swings into action. It may be called the State Militia or the State Police or the Highway Patrol. It is to these organizations, by whatever name they may be called, and wherever they may be found, that you must first contact to confirm the need of trauma bears, size of trauma bears, and their packaging.

 

10-4

 

 

 

 

[SctDad]

Our council is doing our standard scouting for food this January. They have thrown a twist on it this year where all the food banks are running low due to the bad economy. The new twist is:

 

"100 cans for 100 years"

 

Meaning that they are challanging all units to collect 100 cans per scout. For some units that is going to be a very heave load of canned food. I have 74 Boys listed on the roster right now, expecting to keep 40 - 50. They calculate each item at our food bank as one pound. 100 cans/lbs X 50 boys 5000 pounds of food. Wow.

[zippyboro]

This is an absolutely wonderful idea. It is something that the boys can wrap their heads around and really feel as though they are doing something truly special for other children.

 

Hope you don't mind if I "borrow" your idea.... : )

[Shriscov]

I think it was Picasso who said,

"Minor artists borrow; great artists steal."

[AG_Scouter]

What a great idea! You've read lots of good ideas. May I add a story for you to help too?

 

This past year I was able to help with our wood badge course. I got to visit with the participants about "Leaving a Legacy" (which also happened to be the theme of our course this year).

 

One CM there got the idea to organize a coat drive for part of his ticket. From the pictures I saw there were less than two dozen Cubs involved. They had bags and bags of coats that they gathered from their community.

 

Our Council VP for PR is a news director at a local TV station. He ensured his news crew took pictures and spent a few moments at the end of their Saturday evening newscast. This project is still going, folks are still dropping jackets off at the shelter.

 

Stuffed animals for children involved in accidents help the safety officers console them. What a thoughtful project. Good luck, get your community involved and don't be surprised when people want to help you make it better than you could imagine

[jamist649]

Just a quick update.

 

The bears ROLLED IN from all sources. Scouts, Parents, and community. We designated 2 businesses as "Teddy Bear Drop off Sites" and we collected a TON of bears.

 

Our goal was 100 bears for 100 years. We ended up with 234. We had a State Trooper at our Blue and Gold who accepted them and took them to the local Troop Headquarters.

 

This ended up being a great project!