Corona Virus "friendly" service ideas

[Mom2Scout]

Hey all,

 

I have a germophobic scout who needs to perform 8 hours of service for a merit badge.  Have you encountered this before with another scout and have ideas that would be something a scout could do?  The normal opportunities our community has are out (library closed, for example).  I'd prefer he do it before school starts to just knock it out since it would be the one thing for that merit badge that would hold him up.

 

Any ideas?

Thanks

P.S.  He went to the first meeting our scout troop had clad in rubber gloves and was a strict adherent to the masks/don't go within 6 feet of another scout policy.

[sst3rd]

Mom2Scout,

    I just got contacted that the troop I support will start meeting next Monday outside. Only the two troops (boys and girls) will meet. No Pack. I work on the maintenance committee for a secondary reservation in our council ( we have a recreational lake, and our primary reservation does not). We were told to have everything prepared for campers by August 1, 2020.

Which merit badge, and does it require a certain type of service? Trash pickup comes to mind, A local trail, a park, a school, or church. It can be done alone or with appropriate distancing and masks.

Just a thought,

sst3rd

[mashmaster]

Nothing wrong with being extra careful. My son is similar, no shame in that.

Trash idea is a good one. Other ideas, contact the local park ranger to see if they have a trail that needs some clearing.  He and his family can go as a family and work together on clearing a trail of trash, weeds, and invasive species removal.  And invasive species removal counts as conservation hours too.

[qwazse]

I"m sure some places would like a little extra help cleaning graffiti.

[PACAN]

Citizenship in the community (7c) requires 8 hours of service that requires the scout to do the volunteer work for the charitable organization the scout has researched as part of the first two requirements of number 7.  This requirement is not intended for random service projects in multiple areas.   The rank service requirements are better suited for those.

[mashmaster]

6 hours ago, PACAN said:

Citizenship in the community (7c) requires 8 hours of service that requires the scout to do the volunteer work for the charitable organization the scout has researched as part of the first two requirements of number 7.  This requirement is not intended for random service projects in multiple areas.   The rank service requirements are better suited for those.

Agreed, although they could research the local park service as the organization.

[Mom2Scout]

No graffiti here in rural Virginia. 

Yes, it is for the Citizenship in the Community merit badge, so the 8 hours have to be to one org.

I'll give him some ideas about outside clean up, but it is July, so very hot and humid.  There are a few trails around here, so maybe that would work too.  Our troop has sort of adopted part of a trail locally anyway.

[yknot]

Look for a local watershed and maybe he could do a stream/waterway cleanup. That might be cooler than trail clearing. Also, check with same or with municipal or county parks department to see if they would be interested in a bio blitz of a particular property.  That's a cool project and totally covid friendly. Ditto bat or bird boxes. He might also build signage for an organization in support of a conservation project, such as stay on the trail, etc.  See if a nature center wants help setting up a nature cam for their web site if he's techy.

[qwazse]

14 hours ago, Mom2Scout said:

No graffiti here in rural Virginia.  ...

 

13 hours ago, yknot said:

...  See if a nature center wants help setting up a nature cam for their web site if he's techy.

No better way to make sure a nature center gets graffiti than sharing nature cam footage on the web. The latter service project will spawn the former!

Edited July 9, 2020 by qwazse

[Buggie]

When i recommend things other than what's been mentioned above, if the scout was old enough / large enough, our local animal shelter is a great place to help in walking dogs. Though it is in high demand, herding cats (socializing with them in their room) is another option. It's the more difficult one to find spots for though, as it's a smaller room and only so many folks can be in there at a time. 

For the dedicated volunteers, it's about cleaning cages and feeding/watering. The shelter doesn't let the casual volunteer do that job as they want it done correctly and to build a trust with the animals. 

[Momleader]

What about weeding town areas. Helps out the public works crews. Or planting flower baskets at library and schools and senior centers?  There Is enough doom and gloom colorful plantings could make people’s day

 

[Eagle94-A1]

@Momleader,

Please let your Scout come up with ideas on their own based upon the requirements in the MB. The more you try and "help," the more opportunities you take away.

This is an opportunity for your Scout to do research, and come up with ideas, thinking outside of the box if needed. If you give them ideas for the project you are taking away the opportunity for them to think on their own. 

If your Scout is having challenges, then the MBC is the one who should be asked, and by the Scout.

[yknot]

3 hours ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

@Momleader,

Please let your Scout come up with ideas on their own based upon the requirements in the MB. The more you try and "help," the more opportunities you take away.

This is an opportunity for your Scout to do research, and come up with ideas, thinking outside of the box if needed. If you give them ideas for the project you are taking away the opportunity for them to think on their own. 

If your Scout is having challenges, then the MBC is the one who should be asked, and by the Scout.

I agree about the self motivated part to certain degree. However, I have also seen scouts and units get stuck in a rut,  doing the same thing year after year. Service projects for the same community organization simply because it's easy, regardless of whether or not they really need more aid; camping at the same campgrounds just because they are part of the known universe and not because anyone thinks they are particularly fun. I think adults have an obligation to help scouts brainstorm and think outside the box. That doesn't mean doing research for them, but it does mean making sure they realize all that's possible, even if it's just asking the simple question, "Have you ever thought of...?" And during this situation with Covid, where there are restrictions or opportunities that youth may not even comprehend, I think some adult input might be helpful. No one has ever lived through this before.  

[Mom2Scout]

even if it's just asking the simple question, "Have you ever thought of...?" And during this situation with Covid, where there are restrictions or opportunities that youth may not even comprehend, I think some adult input might be helpful. No one has ever lived through this before.  

^^^ this

When I say my scout is a germophobe, I mean it.  Like getting him to go out at all this summer has been a chore.  I was looking for ideas that I could seed into his mind as safe, because he doesn't look at doing anything outside of the house as safe.

For instance, weeding... that's a safe activity.  Now think about who could use this and then go pitch your mbc about it.  I want him to come up with a project that he feels safe doing, but a lot of the normal things our scouts do for this merit badge are not something he can/would feel safe doing.

He knows he has to make calls to find out what an org might need. I'm not doing that for him. 

He is hanging back out of fear/phobia.  I'm trying to find a way he can move forward safely and be that brave scout I know he can be.  I'm not going to pick his service hours place for him.  He has to do that.  If he would feel safer with me going with to help, I'd do that too. (I am horribly allergic to grass, but would suck it up for my scout).

 

[qwazse]

Some things ...

• Churches and schools have libraries that need catalogued.
• Historical societies have articles that need scanned and clipped.
• Nursing home residents who need someone to call them, or a talented scout to record a song and personal greeting to them.