Every November, "Stop Hunger Now" comes to McLean, Virginia. Hundreds of volunteers gather at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer (our troop's sponsor) to package meals for those in need around the world.
Community Service is something that scouts not only need to do but should want to do. This is without doubt one of those occasions where our scouts want to help.
They sing (mostly badly) and dance (definitely badly) to hours of 70s and 80s rock music whilst donning hairnets and filling plastic bags full of rice, soy and vitamins. Their simple mantra is “Speed not precision!” Last Saturday, our troop and the other splendid volunteers packaged 300,000 meals in three shifts!
A small but robust team met at the church on Friday afternoon to begin the load-in process. Pallets of equipment, rice and soy are wheeled into the church at an alarming speed. The whole operation reminds of the time I saw a herd of elephants practicing the Nutcracker in Leicester Square one Christmas many moons ago.
Once all the stuff is inside and placed in the desired spot, the internal set-up begins. Boxes are folded into shape and taped, scales placed in rows and powered up, food bins filled, and bags readied for the next day when frenzied volunteers will work to fill the truck parked outside.
Our afternoon shift for the "Stop Hunger Now" started a few hours after the scouts spent the morning volunteering in the Boy Scout's of America's annual "Scouting for Food" project (it was busy day for the boys).
We arrived at the church around 1:00 p.m. and got ready for the fun. Hairnets required, even for those of us who can barely remember what having hair feels like!
After detailed instruction how what to do, the music starts and the nest of worker ants began their chores. Some filled boxes, some weighed them, some sealed them, some carried them out of the church, and some seemed to walk around in a very managerial manner , making sure all others are working. Definitely a few future politicians in the group!
When the gong rang for the last time (one ring for every 1,000 meals assembled) we stopped, took a breather, and then helped tidy up the church.
The scouts have completed nearly eight hours of community service on one Saturday in November and really seemed to have had a lot fun. You have to admire a bunch of young boys volunteering their time and energy for such great causes.
Community service is an important part of the scouting experience, and having a good time as a troop in the process makes a world of difference.
Most importantly, however, I'm confident that their service will make a world of difference for those who need the meals we put together on that inspiring afternoon, and all of the food (1,700 pounds) that they collected earlier in the morning.
Matt Salt -- Scoutmaster, Troop 1916