Scouts Build Character by Building Ramps

We often talk about service to others as one of the core tenants of Scouting. We remind ourselves to “do a good turn daily.” Our commitment to serving our communities where we live, work, and play has always been the lifeblood of Scouting.

That’s why in 2012, the Boy Scouts of America joined the Messengers of Peace, a global initiative designed to inspire millions of young men and women in more than 220 countries and territories to work toward peace by recognizing and sharing their stories of service to their communities.

At the 2013 National Scout Jamboree, we took our commitment to service a step further by participating in the Messengers of Peace Day of Service. 160 Troops participated in each of five days of service, for a total of nearly 350 projects in the nine counties that surround the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve in West Virginia. The goal was for Scouts to make a meaningful impact on the lives of residents in those communities, and for the communities to make an impact on the Scouts. One group of Scouts went beyond meeting that goal, and in the process gained so much.

When Troop A420, made up of troops from the Minsi Trails and Bucks County Councils in Eastern Pennsylvania, boarded the bus and left the Summit for their day of service, they had no idea what they were getting into. The bus driver’s packet of information told the Scouts they were headed to a private residence to build an ADA-accessible ramp and remove vegetation. Sounds simple, right?

When the Scouts arrived in Scarbro, West Virginia, they were in for a great surprise. Not only were they able to transform two homes by building a ramp and helping with yard work, but they were also able to transform the lives of the two women – Donna Boley, and her daughter, Mandy – whose homes they helped fix up. Mandy was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) when she was just 28. MS attacks the central nervous system and left Mandy, a former nurse, unable to do many of the simple tasks most of us take for granted. While Donna lends her daughter a hand on a daily basis, Mandy’s home was in need of new ramps so she could safely enter and exit her home.

For Donna and Mandy, the day was surprising in many ways. Imagine having a busload of nearly 40 Scouts arrive at your home, ready and willing to undertake projects to spruce up your home. By the end of the day, they were overwhelmed by the hard work the Scouts had completed.

Not only did the Scouts build new decks and ramps for Mandy, but also they noticed that Donna’s home needed some attention and worked to power wash the house, clean up flowerbeds, remove brush and freshen up a shed. Most importantly, the Scouts left a lasting impression on Mandy and Donna, who were both amazed at their hard work and struck with the respect each Scout paid them.

For the Scouts, seeing the look on the faces of Mandy and Donna and understanding how much these women truly appreciated their work was a moving experience. I had the pleasure to be right there with them. While the day was exhausting for each and every Scout, they were filled with joy and so proud of the difference their work made.

According to Scoutmaster Steve Dashe, the day of service was the high point of his troop’s 10-day experience at the Jamboree—an impressive assessment considering the endless adventures Scouts were able to experience at the Summit.

These Scouts set a great example of the service we all work to provide in our communities. This focus on service and community leadership is just one way that we make sure our Scouts are Prepared. For Life.

Now that we’ve all returned to our routines post Jamboree, how will you serve your community?

Yours in Scouting,

Wayne