Garrettsville – The Boy Scouts from Troop 4065 assisted VFW Post 2629 of Aurora in placing flags on the graves of veterans interned at Park Cemetery for Memorial Day. “We also planted flowers by headstones in preparation for Memorial Day observances in the Harrington Cemetery in Nelson,” shared veteran Scoutmaster David Schaefer.
“We’ve done this for as long as I can remember,” he noted. According to Schaefer, the Scouting program has specific objectives, commonly referred to as the “Aims of Scouting.” They include character development, leadership development, and citizenship training. “The BSA wants to help youth be people of good character that are involved in their community,” Schaefer noted.
In the path to earning the rank of Eagle Scout, each young man must earn four merit badges: (1) Citizenship in the Community, (2) Citizenship in the Nation, (3) Citizenship in the World, and (4) Citizenship in Society. “By earning these,” Schaefer explained, “Scouts learn not only the definition of an active community member, but they also actually learn how to be active in their own community.”
According to Schaefer, the Scouts participate in community service projects and activities throughout the year, from picking up trash, planting flowers, placing flags, marching in parades, and participating in conservation projects. The culmination of their service is Eagle projects performed by older Scouts to help improve their local community.
As any parent will agree, sometimes it’s hard to motivate kids to do chores. But according to Schaefer, the Scouts are generally excited to do it. He explained, “When we placed flags at the cemeteries, we look for the pre-placed markers that denote when the person served or what branch they were in.” He continued. “We always have Scouts that ask about them, especially the older ones. The War of 1812, Civil War, and the markers that denote the Civil War Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) markers always start discussions.”
