HOME            Calendar        Activities       Troop Leadership         Patrols         Legacy Photo Albums

Service Projects

Troop Policy
We're known in Ridgefield as having a strong tradition of community service.  It's important for scouts to contribute to our community and appreciate the value of being a volunteer.  After all, it's the spirit of the Boy Scout slogan, “Do a Good Turn Daily”. 

The troop's community service coordinator is Jana Hogan, jana.hogan@comcast.net.  She reviews and schedules troop-sponsored projects which require two adults to attend.  To see the service project opportunities, please check out the calendar and list of activities (links at top of this page).  If you have any questions about service hours, please contact Mrs. Hogan.

Scouts are required to perform at least 12 hours of community service each year to advance in rank and attend our special fun trips.  These service hours are split equally between two "semesters".  The first term runs between the summer "Big Trip" (a late June wekend) and the winter "Ski Trip" (a weekend in February).   Another six hours of service must be completed during the second term, between the "Ski Trip" and the "Big Trip".

Four of the six hours in each term must be troop sponsored, meaning they're planned and coordinated by the troop.  Two service hours may be performed independently with the advanced permission of the Scoutmaster and a signed note by the service recipient.  When these independent hours (also called non-troop sponsored hours) have been completed, the scout is responsible for informing Mrs. Tebbutt to get credit for the independent hours.

And remember that service hours don't carry over from one segment to another.  Participation in both Ski Trip and Big Trip requires scouts to reach fundraising goals (holiday wreath sales), and volunteer, with a parent, at a wreath sale event (unloading vendor delivery, distributing wreaths at trailer or selling at a designated church). 

All service hours are recorded in the troop's database, Troopmaster.  Personal contact information and scouting records, such as earned service hours, may be accessed through the Internet using a tool called Troopmaster Web.  To use this secure service, please create an account.  Instructions are available by clicking on the link at the top of this page.

President's Volunteer Service Award
Our Troop is proud to have been accepted as a Certifying Organization for The President's Volunteer Service Award (PVSA). Scouts who volunteer enough hours can earn this prestigious award that comes with a special pin, certificate and congratulatory letter from the President. PVSA was started in 2003 by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation as a way to thank and honor Americans who, by example, inspired others to engage in volunteer service. The goal is to encourage individuals to embrace the spirit of volunteerism that makes this country so great. The Award level is determined by the amount of hours a scout works. Please refer to the below chart.

How to track hours:
Service is calculated from June 1st to May 31st. This time period only applies to the PVSA calculations. A scout is required to keep track of all community service hours they perform using an Excel spread sheet. The data they should collect is written below and should be presented to the Community Service Coordinator in the correct order. Please ensure that the Time in Hours column has a grand total at the bottom. On June 1, after a year of volunteering it is the scout's responsibility to email The Community Service Coordinator a copy of their Excel sheet. They have till June 4 to send in their information so orders can be placed and delivered for the Troop’s Court of Honor. No sheets will be accepted after this date.

Dates to Remember
May 31st, Cut off date for current year's service
June 1-4, Send in Excel Sheet to Community Service Coordinator for current year's service
June 1, Start recording on new Excel sheet for following year's award

Please note fund raising of any kind is not considered community service. Volunteering to help a religious organization may be submitted but, not if you're teaching or preaching.

Example of Excel Spreadsheet:
Last Name, First Initial, Year Born, Contact Name, Contact Phone, Date of Service, Time in Hours:, Organization, Description of Volunteer Work:

Any questions should be directed to the Community Service Coordinator.

Service to Scouting Award
The Service to Scouting Award recognizes those scouts who volunteer at least 6 hours per year to help scouting over and above that which is required by the Troop and that is not required for advancement.  These hours include time spent volunteering to help the Troop (for example, organizing or cleaning the QM, building or repairing equipment) or any scouring organization (including Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, and other Boy Scout troops, camps, or facilities).

Some examples:
(1) If the Troop requires two hours of service to help with wreath sales, those two hours shall not count toward the Scout Spirit Award. However, if a scout volunteers to work over and above what was required, those extra hours shall count;

(2) If a group of scouts spend time painting and repairing the Troop's Klondike sled during their own free time, that time shall count towards the Scout Spirit award;

(3) If a scout volunteers to help teach scout skills to Cub Scouts and those hours are counted as Troop Sponsored service and are needed to meet the Troop's 6 hour service requirement then those house shall not count toward the Service to Scouting Award. However, if the scout does not need those hours to meet his service requirement, they shall be counted towards the Award;

(4) A scout who participates in the Order of the Arrow ordeal may count those hours of service towards the Service to Scouting Award because those hours are not required by the Troop nor count towards advancement.

Scouts who complete Den Chief training and completes a scouting year term shall automatically be awarded the Service to Scouting Award even if that leadership position is counted towards his rank advancement.

Service to Scouting hours will be reported by the ASM in charge of the event or project.

Eagle Scout Projects
Scouts conducting Eagle projects are encouraged to recruit scout help. Work on a Troop 76 scout's Eagle project counts as Troop sponsored service.

To recruit scout volunteers Eagle candidates must first contact our Community Service Coordinator with the date and time they are seeking help. If there is no conflict with another Troop service the request will be approved and a sign-up sheet will be posted on the Troop website.

The Eagle candidate is then free to draft an announcement for Mrs. Breitenbach (abreitenbach@mac.com) to place in the Troop's weekly email newsletter and to make an announcement at our weekly Troop meetings.

Eagle candidates are responsible for providing our ASM in charge of service with the names, dates, and hours that scout volunteers worked. The ASM in charge of service will then make sure the hours are recorded in Troopmaster.