unselfish outpouring of community member support.
In August of 2009, just as the Lodge was nearing its “first” completion, an arsonist deliberately set fire to the lodge and it quickly burned to the ground, along with the rest of the materials that would have been used to complete the structure. The only thing left standing when all was said and done was the fractured stone fireplace made from stones collected over the years by the Scouts. The fire burned so hot and for so long that stones in the fireplace and chimney had cracked. Hopes and dreams, along with years of planning and hard work were gone.
It was a total loss.
But this was a lodge for Scouts and, not surprising, the Scouts didn’t give up hope. Instead, they rallied together in the face of bad luck and difficulty. Dwayne Parsons, a Scout and Scoutmaster for the Troop for more than 10 years said that the fire was a bitter disappointment, but it was just an interruption, not an end. “We are going to carry on,” Parsons said. “We are going to build it back. No doubt about it, we are putting it back.”
And as we also see so many times, the community that the Scouts have been supporting for decades didn’t hesitate to give back. Donations came pouring in, as did the physical help of hundreds of community members.
Work began almost immediately on the rebuilding of the lodge. As mentioned above, the help came in the form of money and building material donations along with the hard work of hundreds of local adults and children. They even had food donated to feed the volunteers! What a great way for a community to pull together. According to Parsons, the speed at which the new lodge was rebuilt was astonishing as well.
Completion of the lodge rebuilding was marked by a formal ceremony last week. Cub Scouts raised the flag, Parsons gave a formal speech, and the lodge was officially named the West End Scout Lodge at Johnson Park.
Much to his surprise, Parsons was also presented with two awards for his participation in the rebuilding. He received the Award of Merit from the Occonneechee Council and the Presidential Volunteer Service Award from President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation. He quickly turned the attention to the communtiy and volunteers who made it all possible and thanked them for their hard work and dedication.
Around 700 attended the event and their attention was called to a single, special stone in the fireplace that had survived the fire and been recovered and placed there. It was a touching moment and one that brought a community and their Scouts even closer together in North Carolina.
Read about why that one fireplace stone was so special and discover more details about the lodge here – Community Celebrates Rebuilt Scout Lodge. Congratulations and enjoy your new Scout Lodge!
Most of us realize that the living conditions in most parts of Afghanistan are not as suitable as they should be. And this stretches into their educational system as well. In fact, Afghanistan schools and students, which have been devastated from 30 years of war, anti-education politics and an unstable government, are in dire need of assistance.
Said Afghan Col. Haji Toor Jan, Afghanistan National Police security commander of civil affairs, “When I was a little boy, if someone had given me a pen instead of a gun, this country would be a better place.”
Well that is exactly what a program called “
Mark Warren, a 
Jack Pape of Omaha, Nebraska had to use his Boy Scout CPR training skills in 2009 when a tornado slammed the Little Sioux Boy Scout Retreat. Sadly, several Scouts lost their lives that day. But Jack helped to save many lives that day using the CPR skills he learned in his years as a Boy Scout.
Fast forward one year and Jack again found himself in an emergency situation. A small boy fell into a pool and was drowning. Jack performed CPR on the boy and kept him alive long enough for his family to spend a short amount of time with him. Although the young boy passed away, Jack did everything he was trained to do in order to save the boy’s life.
For his efforts, he received the Red Cross Certificate of Merit – the highest award given by the American Red Cross. “I just think that it’s important that everyone learns because you never know when you’re going to need it to save the life of a friend or another person,” Pape said at the awards ceremony.
Jack’s parents are obviously proud of his accomplishment. “We’re very proud, and we were a little worried about him because there are bad memories involved, but very proud, brings tears to your eyes.”
According to Jack, when the situation presents itself, there is no thinking about it. “I didn’t think when I did it, it was just get up, look around what needs to be done, at that point it was just training that kicked in second nature,it wasn’t until after that I was like wow what just happened.”
Our congratulations and respect go out to you, Jack. Your efforts truly represent the idea of Being Prepared and helping others in need. Awesome Job!
Troop 48 of Eagle Point, Oregon made the news this week when they rallied their community and collected enough donations to make hundreds of holiday care packages for our troops in Afghanistan. As the hustle and bustle of the holiday season is upon us, it is easy to forget about our troops overseas who will not have the opportunity to spend the holidays with their family, friends and loved-ones.
But Bryce Thorton of Troop 48 didn’t forget. When he saw the conditions that soldiers in Afghanistan were living in, he was motivated to do anything he could to make a difference. So twice a year, in July and in December, Bryce sends care packages to our troops overseas. “It just shows them that we still care for them and that they’re still respected and needed…”, Bryce told reporters.
Thanks to the help of donations made by individuals and businesses throughout Southwest Oregon, and despite the lagging economy, the goal for December was met and the soldiers should receive their packages by Christmas morning. The final donation came at the last minute from Harry & David, a gourmet food and fruit gift purveyor based in Medford, Oregon. It was going to be close, in fact, Bryce’s father was beginning to wonder if they would reach their goal. But once Harry & David stepped in, the Thortons were able to meet their target, and hundred of troops overseas will have a better holiday and know that we are thinking about them.
What a great mission you’re on Bryce. Your unselfish actions, along with the help of your family and your Boy Scout Troop, are touching the lives of thousands of people. Your efforts are commendable and do not go unnoticed!
To learn more about the holiday package drive, and see a video from the local news station, click this link – 
There are literally thousands of 4-H grants and scholarships available to 4-H members all across the country. Most are found on the local, or county level, but there are many statewide and nationwide opportunities as well. Whether you’re looking for help to fund a 4-H project, or help to further your own education, you should always try and find the grant or scholarship that most closely matches the specific project or your area of expertise.
What we suggest is to be more detailed in your search query. For instance, instead of just searching for “4-H Grants”, do a search for “4-H grant youth development Hillsborough County” or “4-H grants Hillsborough County application” and you’ll find much more targeted results. Be as creative and detailed as you can get. Here are a few more examples:
