Advancement
Community Service
Troop 157 views community service as one of the pillars of our scouting program,
working in concert with our other pillars: a rigorous outdoor program,
and a multi-pronged advancement program. These all combine to offer an
environment where scouts can enjoy the great outdoors, facilitate
personal growth, development leadership skills, and learn and teach
about new topics through the advancement activities.
We
recognize the importance of our members participating within our
community and becoming a part of its vibrancy. In order for each scout
to advance in rank, each must complete a defined number of community
service hours. Also, our scouts participate in our annual Scouting for
Food Drive run in November of each year. This annual food drive
provides much needed food to a local food pantry. Our scouts have also
executed special community service projects to help with specific needs.
A project of significant note was a scout-run September, 2005
fundraising drive to provide food, dry goods, and money to victims of
hurricane Katrina, in Mississippi. More recently, in May, 2010, many
scouts helped clean and dry out flooded basement areas for many elderly
residents at Merriam Village.
In
addition, our Eagle Scouts have executed significant community service
projects to achieve their rank of Eagle Scout. Eagle projects must make
substantive improvements that benefit a recognized non-profit
organization or charity. The organizations that have benefited from our
scout’s efforts range from our public schools, our places of worship,
and our conservation lands and farms. One particularly unique project
built a heavy duty containment corral for water buffalo at Overlook Farm
in central Massachusetts. Many Troop 157 members have participated in
many of these projects during their scouting years. Over the last 5
years, our Eagle Scouts’ projects have contributed more than 100
man-hours per project directly into the community. A few projects have
exceeded 250 man-hours. Troop 157 is proud of our 96 Eagle Scouts and
their efforts within our community.
Troop
157 will continue to promote community spirit and look forward to our
scouts and Eagle scouts continuing to contribute meaningful, lasting
improvements within our communities. If you know of an organization or
charity that could benefit with a capital improvement project please
contact our Scoutmaster (contact@troop157.org ).