USSSP: A Scout's Duty to God and Country

PART 4:  DUTY TO COUNTRY

 

LEARNING TO BE A CITIZEN

 

EMPHASIZING CITIZENSHIP IN YOUR PROGRAM

 

As a Cub Scout Pack Leader you can emphasize citizenship in your program by planning activities that include citizenship skill building opportunities.  For example, in your annual planning meeting you may want to make sure that one or more of the Pack's activities include or feature citizenship skill building activities.  But what are some of these activities?

 

1.   Pack Service Projects can teach the duty of service and good citizenship to the community and country in a variety of ways.

 

a.   Flag care and the destruction of soiled or damaged flags at a community site can emphasize to scouts the proper care and treatment of the flag.

 

b.   Flag ceremonies for PTA, PTO, and other community organizations give Scouts the opportunity to develop a sense of patriotism.

 

 

c.   Scouting for Food, visits to nursing homes, convalescent centers, shelters; and participation in clothing drives; disaster relief collections; and community service projects teach the duty of a citizen to help the less fortunate. 

 

d.   Recycling projects can teach the duty of a citizen to protect the environment and preserve resources for future generations.

 

2.   Pack Fun Activities

 

a.   Participation in a parade or other ceremonial observances on a patriotic holiday, while being fun can also be used to remind scouts of the reasons for the celebration; e.g., Veteran's Day, Memorial Day and the sacrifices of thousands of American in responding to their duty as citizens to serve in the defense of their country.

 

b.   Historic hikes such as the trails at Alexandria, Annapolis, battlefields, the C&O canal, Harper's Ferry, Mount Vernon, Gettysburg (illustration to the right), Antietam or historic sites in your Council can help a Scout to learn more about local history and the history of our country.  While learning this history, Scout can learn about outstanding citizens from the past and the contributions they made (which encourages Scouts to adopt some of these figures as role models).

 

3.   Pack advancement and recognition ceremonies provide excellent opportunities to encourage good citizenship by rewarding individual actions and group activities with a pat on the back or special awards.

 

4.   Special awards can be used to promote citizenship.  For example,  presenting a special ribbon for a den flag reinforces the value of a den's participation in a flag ceremony, or other citizenship activities.

 

5.   Citizenship Night:  A Pack could decide to focus one of its Pack meetings on a citizenship theme in lieu of the regular theme.  The Pack Meeting could feature posters, displays, skits, demonstrations, ceremonies, stories, and games with citizenship values predominant.  At the closing each Scout could be presented with a United States Flag Poster, a small flag, a copy of the Declaration of Independence, a pocket copy of the United States Constitution, or some similar item.

 

6.   Tours:  Take a Pack tour of a government building and meet with local, state, or federal officials to learn more about how the government serves its people and how citizens can help.  Alternatively try a tour of a local museum or monument.

 

 


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