Fewer scouts keep projects going
By Abbie Kopelowitz | Community News Service
Eagle Scout candidate Ryan Fisher (left) and scout leader Albert Caron during a painting break at the Waterbury Area Senior Center recently. Photo by Gordon Miller
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge for the scouting community in Vermont as membership already had been in decline for some time. But even with a smaller cohort, local Boy Scouts continue to plan community projects such as a recent painting project led by an Eagle Scout candidate that spruced up the Waterbury Area Senior Center.
Mark Saxon is chief executive of the Green Mountain Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He said that when schools suspended in-person learning early in the pandemic, that had a ripple effect on out-of-school activities like scouting programs.
“2020 was a year of recovery for us, and reconstituting services in a way that can be more resilient,” he said.
Eagle Scouts, the most senior among the scouting membership who are geared toward community service, still contributed more than 5,200 service hours to the state of Vermont over the past two years.
Scouts in Waterbury-based Troop 701, for example, spent part of their winter break sprucing up the Waterbury Area Senior Center.
Ryan Fisher, a junior at Rice Memorial High School, worked for over a week to repaint the senior center kitchen with the help of his fellow scouts and even some family members.
Lead cook for the senior center Donna Barr said that Ryan met with her throughout the process to pick out colors and organize the project. The results have made a difference in her workplace, she said.
“It made it so much brighter and more inviting in the kitchen,'' Barr said, “just sprucing it up, that always makes everybody happy.”
Ryan says that helping the senior center beautify their kitchen was part of his Eagle Scout Project, allowing him to become an Eagle Scout, which is the highest rank attainable in the scouting program. To get the recognition, the young person must get the required merit badges and work with a mentor to plan and develop a leadership project.
“Doing this project was not only another key step towards my Eagle rank which I am excited to be able to get for the future,” Ryan said, “but it was also a fulfilling project knowing that I was able to help an integral part of my community.”
In a Front Porch Forum post recently, Ryan acknowledged support his project received from Bisbee’s paint and hardware store in Waterbury Center. “Not only did they supply the multiple gallons of paint needed, but nearly all of the other materials, including brushes, rollers, paint trays, primer, and tape. They did all of this for free, and were happy to support an Eagle Scout project,” he said.
The donations made the project come together quicker without the need for a fundraiser for supplies. “They did all of this with no hassle and helped me choose the right paint and tools needed for my project.”
Beyond the pandemic
Saxon said the Vermont scouting organization is working on recognizing those who have earned the Eagle Scout award over the last two years. “The Eagle Scout award itself is the recognition of a career in scouting for young people who have demonstrated their ability to achieve in areas ranging from citizenship, physical fitness, character, and leadership,” he said.
Since the pandemic began in 2020, he said 111 young people have earned this ranking.
The pandemic also changed some of the ways scouts stayed active. Not only did they turn to outdoor activities to accommodate social distancing arrangements, but Saxon said they used virtual connections to work with counselors across the country, instead of just in Vermont.
Waterbury’s Scout Master Albert Caron says now that the pandemic is easing, he hopes that more youngsters will look to get involved in scouting. And that although Vermont has probably lost 20 or 25 troops over the past five or so years, new scouts who join tend to remain active for a number of years.
Saxon confirmed that. “The good news is that our retention rate is close to 70%,” he said. “Most of the kids and families that are attracted to the program, really find a lot of value in it.”
Still, Caron stressed that it’s an accomplishment for scouts like Fisher to stick with the program to reach their Eagle Scout ranking. Only 1 or 2% of Cub Scouts move on to become Eagle Scouts, Caron noted.
Waterbury currently does not have a Cub Scout pack but could see one start up if there was interest among youngsters under age 10. Having new young members join each year is key.
“Without the young kids getting involved, it's really hard to hold the troop together,” Caron said.
Scouts move into the older troop at the fifth grade level. Caron said he had been accustomed to having about a dozen scouts since he became a scoutmaster in 2013. Today, the troop is down to just three having lost two members in 2021. Troops around the region such as Morrisville and Burlington have seen similar declines.
Saxon said he thinks families and youngsters now will be looking for extracurricular activities once again as COVID-19 restrictions lessen in schools and in the community at large. He said scouting leaders are working on ways to restructure programs and provide opportunities for families to make membership accessible to as many young people as possible.
For example, scouting is now open to both boys and girls. “We're actually working to make sure that we can support the number of girl troops that are being started across the state, as that's really an opportunity to serve more young people,” Saxon said.
Eventually, Saxon said he anticipates that a return to more normal routines will bring some scouts back and will attract new members to existing troops or to start new ones. Despite a few years of disruption, the lessons and experiences scouting offers haven’t changed. “We empower kids to have resilience and the leadership skills that will take them where they want to go in life,” he said.
Along the way, they can channel some of their energy to helping community organizations get things done. The Waterbury Area Senior Center shared on social media some praise for Ryan and the painting team he assembled over school break: "The results look fabulous and we could not be more pleased! We are so proud of the hard work, kindness and civic pride demonstrated time and time again by our scouts."
Community News Service is a collaboration with the University of Vermont’s Reporting & Documentary Storytelling program.