You may wonder why scouts do Community Service hours.  If you think about the words of the Scout Oath, Law and Slogan community service go hand in hand.

On my honor, I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.

A Scout is:

• Trustworthy,
• Loyal,
• Helpful,
• Friendly,
• Courteous,
• Kind,
• Obedient,
• Cheerful,
• Thrifty,
• Brave,
• Clean,
• and Reverent.

Do a Good Turn Daily!

Scouts do daily community service that helps our community without expected reward. In turn preforming the services contributes to the development of citizenship and good character in the scouts. Scouts also learn to work together and develop leadership skills while leading a community service project like the Eagle Projects.

The Journey to Excellence (JTE) requires at least service project for the chartered organization where the unit is charted at. Each scout rank has some service hours required for advancement.

Communities benefit from service projects by Cub packs and Scout troops. It is can be said that the projects are the best marketing tools that scouting is here making life better for all.

Unit JTE hours are collected and reported to our State and Congress to demonstrate the value of scouting. Councils receive grants and donations through the reported service hours in the Internet Advancement website.

When units preform a unit service project, they can record the scouts, the number of adults and sibling helping on the project for the unit project total hours. The JTE scorecard for Service Projects lists 3 projects for Bronze, 4 for Silver and 5 for Gold

Service Project Planning Guidelines, No. 680-027 

A checklist to help you plan that next service project. 

Many schools now include service hours towards graduation requirements. Counting service hours for school or elsewhere in the community and for advancement is not considered double counting since the hours are counted only once for advancement purposes.

Service Hour Projects need to be approved by your Scoutmaster before doing them and it is wise to get a form for the project receiving group to sign so your unit has a record for their files as to when, and for whom you earned the service hours with.

Black Swamp Area Council has a Special Award each year.

The Black Swamp Area Council, BSA is pleased to announce a new Community Service Award. This award will recognize the Pack or Troop with the most hours of community service per youth member based upon the units youth membership on March 31 and the number of hours of community service on December 31.

The designation of this community service award will include a $2,000 campership to the Pack or Troop awarded, for use at a Black Swamp Area Council camp.

Timeline of Recognition

• March 31 prior year, youth membership of units for 2018, dates of record.
• December 31 prior year, number of hours of community service recorded.
• February current year, award announced.
• Summer current year, award is used for summer camp experience.

This award will be presented annually and was provided by a generous benefactor.

Another benefit to scouts and Scouters is that our Council offers is the 35 and 70 Community Service Hour Patches!

Click here to view the 35 and 70 Community Service Hour information, service project ideas and application.

Other ideas for Service Projects can be sent to you by emailing me at GLittle@woh.rr.com for the list I have on Service projects and Conservation projects.

Carol Little
Arrowwood District
Service Hours Coordinator