Doing service projects together is one way that Scouts keep their promise “to help other people.” While a Scout should do their best to help other people every day, a group service project is a bigger way to help people. While you’re giving service, you’re learning to work together with others to do something that’s good for your community.
Reporting Service Project Hours
We ask Packs and Troops to report thier Service Projects and hours. Information is used to show our service to the community as part of our annual report and when we apply for grants. Service Projects can be logged at the National Journey to Excellence Site or they can be logged on Scoutbook.
Journey to Excellence
Packs are encouraged to do three service projects a year; one of which is conservation oriented. Troops are encouraged to do five service projects a year.
Messengers Of Peace
Program Overview
Launched in September 2011, Messengers of Peace is a global initiative designed to inspire millions of young men and women in more than 220 countries and territories to work toward peace. Using state-of-the-art social media, the initiative lets Scouts from around the world share what they’ve done and inspire fellow Scouts to undertake similar efforts in their own communities. The initiative is inspired by the World Scout Committee, administered by the World Scout Bureau, and driven by youth volunteers worldwide.
Defining Peace
In terms of the MOP initiative, peace encompasses three dimensions:
- The personal dimension: harmony, justice, and equality
- The community dimension: peace as opposed to hostility or violent conflict
- Relationships between humankind and its environment: security, social and economic welfare, and relationship with the environment
Any Scout or Scouter who participates in a project that has had a significant impact on the community in any one of the three dimensions above can qualify as a Messenger of Peace.
Submitting Projects
Submitting MOP-related projects is easy for BSA units. All they need to do is check the Messengers of Peace box when entering a service project through the Journey to Excellence website (www.scouting.org/Awards/JourneyToExcellence).
Recognition Item
Any Scout or Scouter who participates in a qualifying project is eligible to wear a Messengers of Peace ring patch around the World Crest on his or her uniform. A unit representative can purchase these ring patches at a local Scout shop,
Service Project Ideas
- Helping the natural world
- Pick up litter around your neighborhood.
- Clean up trash by a stream.
- Plant seedlings or flowers.
- Recycle glass, paper, aluminum, or plastic.
- Make bird feeders.
- Helping the community
- Give a flag ceremony for a school.
- Collect food for food banks.
- Make cards for a care center.
- Clean up a church parking lot.
- Shovel snow or rake leaves for seniors.
- Hand out voting reminders.
- Hand out emergency procedure brochures.
- Recycle family newspapers.
- Helping the chartered organization
- Do a cleanup project.
- Plant and care for trees.
- Conduct a flag ceremony.
- Help set up for a special event.
- Hand out programs or bulletins at a meeting of the organization.