Re: VOLUNTEERISM
Rodger Morris (rodger@FISHNET.NET)
Sat, 8 Jul 1995 18:54:47 GMT
>HELLO OUT THERE! I'm living in Japan and teaching English to junior
>high students here. I just found out that I will be speaking for the
>prefectural-wide meeting of the Junior Red Cross about volunteer work done
>by teenagers in the U.S. Does anyone have any[Cfacts, funny stories, heart-
>warming stories or JUST ANY info on volunteerism among this age group?
>Please help me if you can. Any info on activities your group does
>would be greatly appreciated. The Japanese people I've talked with here
...
My Boy Scout Troop spent a Troop meeting about a month or so ago picking
tangerines on a farm that would have gone to waste. We are inside the
quarentine zone for the Mediterranean fruit fly in Camarillo, CA. We
donated about 100-150 kg of tangerines to the food bank run by the
St. Columba's Episcopal Church of Camarillo.
We had a great deal of fun doing this. We probably wasted about 5-10kg
of tangerines in an impromptu tanerine fight, but we filled up our van
with as much as we could conveniently carry. We had so much fun doing
this service project that our Scouts want to do more projects.
One of our Scouts needs to plan, develop and carry out a service project
in order to qualify for Eagle Scout. He has discovered a senior citizens'
convalescent home that needs painting. He is planning the details now. We
intend to repaint this home and celebrate by having a pizza party.
Remember, KISMIF! Keep It Simple, Make It Fun.
Next year, we intend to go on a trip into Baja California. We know that
there is a small school in the mountains of Baja California that has few
books. We intend to collect books and other materials and give it to this
small one-room school that serves about 20-30 students.
"Think globally, act locally."
Volunteerism is analogous to the story of the old man who was walking on
the beach. Millions of starfish were dying out of water as the tide receded.
Every few steps, the old man would pick up a starfish and throw it into the
water.
A young man saw this and asked, "What are you doing, old man?" The old man
replied, "I am throwing starfish back into the water so they will live."
The young man exclaimed, "You are a stupid old man. Millions of starfish
are dying right now on this beach alone. There are hundreds of beaches
where starfish are dying this instant. You cannot possibly make any
difference in the midst of all this death."
The old man bent down and picked up another starfish, then threw it into the
water, then said, "Made a difference to that one!!"
One drop of water is insignificant, but enough drops of water will fill a
dry lake and make the earth bloom.
Yours in Scouting,
Rodger
Rodger Morris <rodger@fishnet.net>
Assistant Scoutmaster, Troop 852, Camarillo, CA
Ventura County Council, Boy Scouts of America
National Woodbadge 416-18, Philmont, 1973
"I used to be a Beaver..."
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
