Complete 1 hour of service

Service to others is at the core of the Scouting movement. Requirement 7b marks your first formal rank-advancement service project in Scouts BSA, requiring at least one hour of approved service and a thoughtful reflection on how helping others fulfills the Scout Slogan and Scout Motto.

Planning and Scoutmaster Approval

The requirement explicitly specifies that your service project must be approved by your Scoutmaster in advance.

Why Advance Approval Matters

• Ensures Meaningful Benefit: Verifies that the project provides a real service to your community, place of worship, school, or chartered organization.
• Safety and Youth Protection: Ensures the work environment is safe, appropriate for your age, and supervised according to two-deep adult leadership guidelines.
• Not for Commercial Profit: Service hours cannot be performed for a private business or for personal financial compensation.

Great Service Project Ideas

• Troop and Community Projects: Assisting with a food drive (such as Scouting for Food), community park cleanup, or helping plant trees and clear invasive species.
• Chartered Organization Service: Helping your troop’s meeting facility with landscaping, painting, or event setup.
• Eagle Scout Projects: Volunteering to work as part of a crew on an older Scout’s Eagle Scout Service Project.
• Civic & Veterans’ Service: Placing American flags on veterans’ graves for Memorial Day or assisting at a local library or animal shelter.

Connecting Service to the Slogan and Motto

After completing your service hour, be prepared to discuss these two fundamental connections during your Scoutmaster Conference:

The Scout Slogan: “Do a Good Turn Daily”

• The slogan teaches you to look outward and develop a lifelong habit of unselfish kindness.
• Participating in organized community service takes the daily Good Turn to a larger scale—contributing your physical labor to improve the lives of people in your broader community.

The Scout Motto: “Be Prepared”

• Demonstrating preparedness before and during a service project means:
  • Personal Readiness: Dressing appropriately with sturdy closed-toe shoes, work gloves, eye protection, and weather-appropriate layers.
  • Physical Readiness: Bringing a full water bottle, sunscreen, and the energy to work hard.
  • Mental Readiness: Listening carefully to instructions, handling tools safely, and working cooperatively with other volunteers until the job is done right.