Blanco River Floods – Scout Aid USA

It’s incredible to see and hear of the efforts Scouts contribute around the world to help those in need. One of the most recent cases is the earthquake in Nepal and the efforts Scout Aid volunteers dedicated to help their local communities.

This was not an isolated action. Recently there has also been Scout Aid in the Philippines, Bangladesh, Madagascar, Indonesia, Liberia, Haiti….the list is endless.

Why do Scouts take on such responsibilities without even being asked? It’s because of their characteristics – reliability, integrity, leadership - they are ready when needed. It’s the latent power of Scouting.

Last month Scouts in the USA demonstrated these qualities in abundance.

On the 23rd May, following an extensive period of rainfall, Blanco River in Texas flooded local towns and isolated residents.

A number of Scouts from the South Plains Scouting Council decided to postpone their troop camp in order to help the victims of the floods. The Scouts – lead by young BP Fellow 15-year-old Katie Hancock and 16-year-old Venture Scout David Pyle – collected thousands of donations in-kind from their local community in Lubbock and took them to the worst affected communities.

Beyond delivering the donations, the crew also spent time working with the local residents, helping them to salvage their belongings and start the recovery process.

Following the actions of the Scouts, South Plains Scout Council Executive Nathan Baie felt humbled by “the difference that a simple act of kindness and service can have on a community”.

It’s these actions that demonstrate what being a Scout is all about – having the honesty to do the right thing, having the integrity to take action and having the leadership to know when to take on responsibility.

@worldscouting @boyscouts @SouthPlainsBSA #ScoutAid #MessengersOfPeace