Why Do We Do Service?

Service to others is burned into Scouting’s culture:

• “Do a Good Turn Daily”

• “...to help other people at all times...”

• “A Scout is ... Helpful”

• “I ... will endeavor, so far as in my power lies, to be unselfish in

service and devotion to the welfare of others.”

But knowing that we are supposed to engage in service doesn’t answer

the fundamental question: Why?

I believe the answer to that question comes in three parts:

First, service benefits the community around us. People looking out for

each other is the form of citizenship that keeps towns and cities healthy,

and leads to improved living conditions and greater community

empowerment. Service is a powerful tool for connection, growth, and

change. Whether helping at a local shelter, cleaning up a neighborhood

park, or collecting food, community service brings people together to

make a real difference. It is a practical tool that teaches us empathy,

builds stronger communities, and reminds us that even small acts of

kindness can have a big impact.

Second, service strengthens Scouting. We are a Movement based upon

experiential learning: Scouting is Doing. When Packs, Troops, Crews,

Ships, and Posts physically take part in service projects, they

demonstrate in a very tangible way to the larger community that

Scouting is valuable and worthy of their support. When families with no

Scouting background see Scouts in action helping their community, we

gain a unique positive impression, and open the door for them to explore

having their children be part of our worthwhile group.

Third—and most important in my estimation—service benefits the Scouts

who do it. The Allstate Foundation recently engaged the Gallup research

organization to examine the effects of service on youth. More than 3,000

young people aged 12-25 who participate in service were asked to report

what changes they saw in themselves as a result of service. The

responses were illuminating and encouraging:

• Career Readiness: 52% reported that service activities had a positive

impact on how they felt prepared for a future career.

• Connection: 79% reported that service activities had a positive impact

on feeling connected to their community.

• Resilience: Youth with service experience are more likely than their

non-service peers—by 65% to 52%—to say they can handle whatever

comes their way.

Even more signifiant for the Movement were the effects on youth of doing

service for a longer period of time or in a wider range of activities:

• Overcoming challenges: Youth with more service experience reported

greater confidence in their ability to overcome challenges - 71% those

with 40 or more hours reported greater confidence while only 57% of

those with 1-9 hours of service did so.

• Life skills: Youth with a variety of service experiences reported higher

ranking for core life skills: collaboration, writing, and public speaking.

And just to reinforce Scouting’s methods, young people who had

decision-making and leadership responsibilities within their service

experiences reported greater positive outcomes, including career

confidence and pride in who they are becoming.

(You can get the full report at: https://www.gallup.com/analytics/

702254/youth-service.aspx.)

So, if we ever need reinforcement for our commitment to service,

remember all the ways in which service pays positive dividends - to your

youth members, to Scouting, and to the larger community.

— Chris Sandberg, High Desert Executive Board Chair