Service projects can help Boy Scouts become better citizens.
Community service is an important part of being a loyal Boy Scout. Whether Boy Scout service projects take a day or a year, they can have a major impact. Service projects allow Scouts to develop leadership skills, learn to work as a team and make a difference in their community.
Improvement
Give the community a pretty place to exercise.
Making the community more livable and attractive could be an ongoing service project. Get permission from the city and clear a nature trail for hiking and biking. Give community schools a "facelift" by repainting the exterior and classrooms, mend fences and spruce up the landscaping. Put up fences around recreational athletic fields. Visit area churches and repaint the lines in the parking lot or fix the landscaping. Build a memorial gazebo in the city cemetery or lay a commemorative brick path.
Outreach
Work with local at-risk children.
Engage with community members to make a difference in many lives. Organize outings or socials for shut-ins and events for nursing home residents. Recruit adult volunteers and put together an after-school program for latchkey or at-risk children. Create a mentoring program for younger boys or a tutoring program for struggling elementary school students. Start a weekend soup kitchen for the needy or create a carpool program for local workers. Initiate an informational presentation on Boy Scout projects and let the community know how they can contribute.
Events
Auction off manual labor.
Work with the local Red Cross to organize a community blood drive. Hold a carnival and donate all the proceeds to a local charity. Create a list of home projects that the Boy Scouts are willing to complete, then hold an auction and complete the work for the highest bidder. Donate the profits to Habitat for Humanity. Organize a community sports day to help raise awareness about the importance of physical health. Ask local physicians or nurses to donate time to give free blood tests and physical evaluations.
Other Projects
Install new seating for public areas as part of your Boy Scout service.
Take over the stocking and sorting work at the local food pantry. Organize a book or clothing drive for the needy and set up donation boxes all over town. Assemble backpacks full of school supplies for children from needy families or full of blankets and toiletries for homeless people. Construct bus stop shelters or repair the existing ones, or a memorial for 9/11 victims in the local park. Install new benches in the park or along nature trails.
Tags: at-risk children, Give community, make difference, Scout service, Service projects, with local
