“Just do something to help the other fellow, and the joy of the service well done will be its own reward.” Good Deeds
Recently, I’ve had a chance to reflect on the role of service in citizenship as our Cub Scout Webelo Den has been working on the Citizen Badge.
Service doesn’t have to be a big part of the Webelo Citizen Badge requirements, but it is the “motive power of the [Boy Scout] movement.” To complete the Citizen Badge, boys must do at least one service project “Good Turn”:
A Good Turn is a volunteered kind act of good deed. Boys must be encouraged to watch for things that need to be done, and then do them without being asked. More, boys must be trained and educated into the Good Turn Habit. They must be helped to see that doing a job which they are already supposed to do, even cheerfully , ought not be classed as doing a Good Turn.
Performing the regular routine duties about the home is not a Good Turn. The Good Turn is a bigger finer thing–the Good Turn is really a philosophy of living, of which Service to others becomes the key. A good Turn is a volunteered kind act or deed. If you can stimulate a boy so that such actions become habitual, then you have made the Good Turn Philosophy work in his life.
We began this badge activity with a visit from a local legislator, Martin Reid, who explained the role of local government and helped the boys list their elected representatives. This led to a lively discussion about issues that affect them – tattoos & minors, longer school days/years – and how to contact legislators to voice their opinion.
At the next Webelo meeting, the boys learned about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. We led off with the catchy Schoolhouse Rock Constitution Preamble and then read aloud We the Kids: The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States before reading the Bill of Rights.
It was just a brief introduction, but it gave the boys something to think about as we introduced the next assignment: developing laws and government for an island nation. (See instructions.) This is where the boys developed a keen appreciation for how difficult it must have been to write the constitution as they argued about each rule, and its enforcement.
It also helped to prepare them for a discussion of rights and responsibilities, as you can’t have one without the other. Most importantly, it helped them understand why we encourage them to do service to help ensure that the rights that we cherish in our country are extended to all.
Not that this was a hard sell. Most of the boys truly enjoy doing Good Turns like preparing a meal at Joseph’s House, a local homeless shelter. And, I have to admit, I find it equally fun and rewarding introducing children to the Good Turn Habit.
Does this make me a good citizen? I hope so.
Related Articles:
- Good Deeds- Links to Good Turn suggestions.
- Webelo Citizen Badge Requirements.
- Webelos Leader’s Guide to Citizen Badge.
- Citizen Activity Badge Outline – Two month plan.
 We the Kids (9780803725539): David Catrow: Books
ISBN: 0803725531 |
 The Constitution and the Bill of Rights (Researching American History) (9781932663112): Pat Perrin and Wim Coleman: Books
ISBN: 1932663118 |
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I think that what you guys did is so cool. I think all kids should do things like this when they are younger. Well, at any age, but I’m not sure how many teenagers would go do this willingly their own. Unless they learned when they were younger how cool it was/is.
I remember even when I was little, when my school would have a food drive (or something along those lines) – I would get a few cans of something and I thought it was just the coolest thing ever.
Cait Hagar
.-= Cait Hagar´s last blog ..Coraline Drawing =-.
Thanks, Cait! I guess I’d like to think that Teens are never too old/too cool to appreciate the value of service, but maybe we just need more cool Teens like you leading the way!
Didn’t know the forum rules allowed such birlliant posts.
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