“A service project is a special Good Turn that puts Scout spirit into action.”

—The Boy Scout Handbook, 12th Edition, page 84

Scout Impact Project: A Good Turn For Your Community

Join in the fun and give back to your community with this NEW Community-wide service project initiative!

The Scout Impact Project has been postponed until sometime this summer due to recent health and safety concerns.

Help Others by Joining Our Community-Wide Service Project Initiative!

Helping others is one of the fundamental values of Scouting and allows Scouts to see the value and impact they make by contributing to their community. The Scout Impact Project is a community service project initiative where we are asking that all Scouts, Scouters, family and friends come together to show the impact of Scouting in our community at the same time over the course of 60 days in the Spring. We’re asking each unit to complete a small service project during April or May.

We suggest that you work with your chartered partner to show the strong spirit of Scouting and to make a difference in your local community. Our goal is to collectively provide our communities of the Tri-state area with thousands of community service hours! Registration is now open for all units to start preparing for their Scout Impact Project.

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UPDATES • SHARE PROJECT PHOTOS • CONNECT WITH SCOUTS

Our Goal is to Complete Thousands of Hours
of Community Service!

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

  • Units and Chartered Organizations collaborate on a new service project to benefit their community
  • Provide significant local benefit through Scouting good turns
  • Deepen the relationship between the unit and their chartered organization
  • Across the Dan Beard Council, provide thousands of new service hours

ENROLLMENT IS OPEN!

  1. Enroll online with a unit contact by clicking here.
  2. Contact the chartered organization to discuss the possible project.
  3. Develop and prepare a proposal for the charter organization.
  4. Present proposal to chartered organization.
  5. Submit basic write up and begin working on the project.
  6. Complete the project and follow up survey.
  7. Receive patches and enjoy the benefits the unit provided for the community.

WHY PERFORM COMMUNITY SERVICE?

  1. The core values of Scouting are “to help other people at all times,” and to “do a good turn daily.”
  2. It’s a win – win for Scouting and the community, benefiting the organizations and people where we live.
  3. It teaches youth life-long lessons about the importance of community involvement and volunteerism.
  4. It gives your unit’s program calendar, greater structure, variety and worthwhile activity.
  5. It enables your unit to achieve its “Journey to Excellence” service project goals.

UNIT LEADER CHECKLIST – HOW TO GET STARTED

Sign your unit up today and get your project planning started with these easy steps:

      1. Find a Project
      2. Sign Up Your Unit
      3. Recruit Volunteers
      4. Log Your Hours
      5. Like the Facebook Page
      6. Share Your Project

For details on how to get started, download the Unit Leader Checklist, found here!

JOURNEY TO EXCELLENCE PROGRAM

JTE

The Journey to Excellence (JTE) is a program established by the Boy Scouts of America to provide individual units with specific goals necessary to achieve objective of performing and reporting service projects.

NOTE: At this time, the Scoutbook service log is not tied into the JTE service reporting system, you will have to enter service in both places at this time.
For the JTE service reporting tool, see:
https://www.scouting.org/awards/journey-to-excellence/

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

According the Boy Scout Handbook, “A service project is a special Good Turn that puts Scout Spirit into action.”  Some Good Turns are big—saving a life, helping out after disasters. But most Good Turns small, thoughtful acts—helping a child cross a busy street, or going to the store for an elderly neighbor.  Scout Leaders are always the best source to ask regarding this question, as each Unit may have different ideas regarding the nature of community service the Unit wants to record.

Absolutely.  Scouting Principles embody a commitment to service.   One of the purposes of community service is to show leadership in service work. Many Good Turns are done that are not advancement related and all should be encouraged to be recorded. (For advancement, Scoutmasters must approve the service).

Meaningful, visible service projects show the community the value of Scouting and permit Youth to learn leadership and demonstrate the Scouting Spirit. Recording service hours enables Scouting to validate its contributions to youth and the community. Internally, it builds pride among participating Units. Externally, it serves a valuable means to increase membership, and to promote Scouting overall.

No. You may report the hours for projects at any time. While not preferred, you can also aggregate similar projects together as one entry. Reasonable, good faith estimates of time, people, and/or donated items are acceptable.

Yes. the hours of all volunteers should be included. We need the assistance of everyone in the community. Reported hours should include everyone who participates in the service project.

These hours may be recorded. Advancement Guideline 4.2.3.6. contained a “significant change” and clarified “that counting service hours provided elsewhere in the community is not ‘double counting’ and they should be counted toward advancement.” If hours can be counted towards Advancement, then hours can also be counted and reported as community service hours.

We recognize that the BSA online reporting system can be difficult and confusing.  Just “Do Your Best” in completing as much information as you can.  There are no mistakes, other than not reporting hours!  If something is not recorded properly, you can change your entry later. Reasonable, good faith estimates and simple descriptions are fine.

The BSA has some great ideas on its website.  You may want to check out the Council’s Facebook page to see some examples showcased by other Cub Packs. Your District Executive would be happy to help you come up with great ideas.

Yes. All Scouting groups are encouraged to participate in service projects, and to record those efforts.

RESOURCES

Questions? Please contact Frank Burdsall, Program Executive, at (513) 577-7712 or frank.burdsall@scouting.org.