...to help other people at all times

[eisely]

This story speaks for itself, from a newspaper in Boca Raton Florida.

______________________

 

Boy Scouts save the day

 

Published Sunday, August 29, 2004

by Rebecca Huval

 

On my honor I will do my bestto help other people at all times. This Boy Scout oath guided Palm Beach County troops to Arcadia, FL, where hurricane Charley left thousands of victims.

One hundred and twenty Boy Scouts and parents met at Town Center in Boca Raton 5 a.m. Saturday. In 16 vans, they traveled across the state with 500 sheets of plywood, 40 rolls of dry wall lining and enough meals to feed 2,500 people. The supplies were purchased with $8,000 donated by the First United Methodist Church of Boca Raton and the Gulf Stream Council of Boy Scout troops, among other organizations.

We were listening to (the scouts) in the vans, and they were just like, Wow, these people dont have much. said Mark Wyllie a leader of Boca troop 337, Mark Wyllie.

Once they arrived in Arcadia, the troops and parents distributed food and patched up roofs so that rain couldnt seep through.

All we wanted to do was provide a band-aid to keep the houses dry, Wyllie said.

He said the most touching moment of the day occurred at the first house his troop repaired.

The first one was an old lady, he said. When we showed up, she just started to cry.

 

But Wyllie said he felt the greatest sense of accomplishment when fixing up a mission house that had provided 60 people with shelter during the storm and is still a location that provides food for hurricane victims.

The mission was rewarding because it affected more than one family, he said. When we saw this building, a quarter of the roof was gone. A trailer had hit the building during the storm, causing part of the roof to blow away.

The troop leader said his scouts enjoyed helping out.

They rolled up their sleeves and worked the whole day, he said. The scouts distributed food and brought supplies inside when it rained, while the 40 adults did construction work.

Our group repaired a couple of houses, said Jamie Paton, a 12-year-old Boy Scout and a student at Spanish River High School. It was fun going over to help. It wasnt like sitting at home. It was something to do.

Paton said he learned a lot that day.

I learned about how strong hurricanes are, he said. I also learned how the citizens react to it. They were really grateful.