National Park Service and the Boy Scouts of America
Service to America Initiative Information Sheet
In the next few years, the National Park Service (NPS) will be the recipient
of one million hours of volunteer service through the Presidents' Summit for
America's Future and the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). The Summit is aimed at
bringing America to a new level of commitment to volunteer service. The project
is being coordinated by Eastern National and is a small part of the 200 million
service hours pledged to America from the BSA.
The National Park Service will work with Eastern National to identify service
projects that BSA members will complete on national park lands. In the next few
years, the NPS will face a variety of challenges in which volunteers are needed.
The list is long and at each site there is a volunteer coordinator who is willing
to work with Scout leaders in preserving America's resources for future generations.
All projects will be supervised by an adult leader, consistent with the standards
of the BSA local council. BSA leaders wishing to participate in the program need
simply contact the park volunteer coordinator to initiate a project.
The NPS & BSA Service to America project involves gathering information from
each NPS site, such as descriptions of available projects, names of park volunteer
coordinators, and phone numbers and e-mail addresses to contact the coordinators.
This information is compiled in an extensive on-line database that allows the adult
leaders and youth members to access information about available projects at parks
throughout the nation. Some examples of park projects include eradication of exotic
plant species, erosion control, and improvement of campsite and visitor conveniences.
The Web site can be accessed at http://www.servicetoamerica.org.
Tracking Hours and Patch Fulfillment
On the NPS Service to America Web site, there are some important forms to be used
for patch fulfillment and tracking volunteer hours. The first form is the NPS Volunteer
Coordinator Form. Park volunteer coordinators should print and fill out this form each
time a project is completed, then fax it to Eastern National at (215) 283-6925 to the
attention of the NPS & BSA Service to America Coordinator. The form will help track
the hours that Scouts and adult leaders have volunteered at a national park. There
is another form that gives the park the opportunity to update any information on
volunteer opportunities, contact names and numbers that appear on the Web site.
The third form is the NPS & BSA Service to America Patch Order Form. Upon completion
of 12 service hours at any given NPS site, those having completed the 12 hours of service
will qualify for two patches. One patch, which was designed by BSA, features the BSA
logo and the American flag and may be purchased through BSA supply channels. The second
patch features both the NPS and BSA logos and is available from Eastern National.
In order to obtain this patch, adult leaders should fill out the NPS & BSA Service
to America Patch Order Form. If paying by credit card, the patches can be ordered by
phone Monday through Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. EST at (215) 591-0901. Cost of each NPS &
BSA Service to America patch is $1.99 plus shipping and handling.
If you cannot access these forms from the Web site, send an e-mail to Carol Snyder at
Eastern National at carols@easternnational.org. Supply your fax number and we
will fax you copies.
If you would like further information about this initiative, please contact Carol
Snyder at carols@easternnational.org.