Dear Editor:

The Boy Scouts of America is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2010. To commemorate this 100th anniversary milestone, I would like to encourage and challenge all current and former Scouts to participate in some form of community service.

The third point of the Scout Law is “a Scout is helpful,” so here is a list of 100 suggested activities that will benefit our community and our world.

1. Place American flags at a local cemetery on Flag Day or Veterans Day

2. Organize a school supply drive

3. Collect grocery coupons for a local food bank or shelter

4. Check on elderly friends and neighbors during extreme weather

5. Volunteer as a counselor at a local summer camp

6. Ring a bell for the Salvation Army during the holidays

7. Mow your neighbor’s lawn

8. Plant a butterfly garden near a play area

9. Organize a book drive for a local school library

10. Become a certified lifeguard and volunteer at a pool or beach

11. Volunteer to clean up after a community event

12. Help build a house with Habitat for Humanity

13. Organize a blood drive, and donate!

14. Become an advocate for the blind or disabled

15. Make bird feeders for a local park

16. Help organize a community clean-up day

17. Walk an elderly neighbor’s dog

18. Lead a regular sing-along activity at a nursing home or adult care facility

19. Coach a youth sports team

20. Collect and donate old cell phones to a women’s shelter

21. Volunteer at an animal shelter

22. Create and maintain a web page for a nonprofit organization

23. Tutor a special needs student

24. File paperwork for a volunteer organization

25. Host a foreign exchange student

26. Be a volunteer storyteller for preschool children

27. Organize a carpooling group for after-school sports

28. Speak about volunteering at a school assembly

29. Make a meal for a sick or elderly friend or neighbor

30. Share professional or domestic skills at a free workshop

31. Host a concert and donate proceeds to a favorite charity

32. Organize a back-to-school clothes closet for needy children

33. Collect American flags for proper retirement

34. Adopt a pet and support the SPCA

35. Help someone earn a GED

36. Plant a garden and donate fresh produce to a food bank

37. Organize a “Golden Oldies” dance at a senior center or high-rise

38. Teach a merit badge class for a Scout troop

39. Collect educational materials for a children’s home or shelter

40. Organize a Neighborhood Watch

41. Adopt a spot in your town and keep it litter-free

42. Organize a community yard sale to help with a neighbor’s medical bills

43. Volunteer to chaperone local teen events

44. Organize a Relay for Life team

45. Help high school seniors apply for scholarships

46. Collect non-perishables for a local soup kitchen or food bank

47. Recycle aluminum cans

48. Volunteer at a soup kitchen

49. Donate used items to the Goodwill or Salvation Army

50. Become a tutor for summer school students

51. Partner with a friend to encourage regular exercise

52. Recycle paper and plastic bags

53. Organize a snow-shoveling crew during winter months

54. Volunteer at a hospital

55. Make quilts for military medical evacuees

56. Donate magazines to hospitals, nursing homes and doctor’s offices

57. Offer a computer class to the elderly

58. Volunteer as a crossing guard

59. Collect art supplies for a children’s hospital

60. Collect cards and games and donate them to a nursing home

61. Make care packages and give them to the homeless

62. Offer free babysitting for a single parent

63. Purchase gift cards from restaurants and give them to the hungry or homeless

64. Organize a Boy Scout troop reunion

65. Adopt a waterway

66. Sponsor a child from the Salvation Army Angel Tree

67. Volunteer with the Red Cross

68. Establish a scholarship fund for average students

69. Repair playground equipment at a school or park

70. Organize a grocery shopping service for the elderly

71. Volunteer at an after-school program for elementary school students

72. Clean up a local cemetery

73. Prepare taxes for low-income adults

74. Assist the YMCA with youth programs

75. Join a disaster relief team

76. Volunteer at a domestic violence shelter

77. Volunteer with Meals On Wheels

78. Donate books to the Literacy Council

79. Provide car maintenance for single mothers

80. Construct wheelchair ramps for the elderly or disabled

81. Recycle old eyeglasses

82. Volunteer as a teacher’s aide

83. Help restore or clean up a community landmark

84. Teach a badge requirement for a Cub Scout den

85. Share your professional skills at your local free clinic

86. Teach a VBS class

87. Share a meal and hope with a homeless vet

88. Volunteer with your child’s or grandchild’s sports team

89. Send “Thank You” cards and letters to our “Wounded Warriors”

90. Help clean the Bay

91. Teach flag etiquette at a PTA meeting

92. Start a camp or uniform fund for your current or former BSA troop

93. Collect Christmas gifts for the Children’s Center

94. Sponsor or coach a Special Olympics team

95. Start a Cub Scout den or Brownie Scout troop at a special needs children’s facility

96. Adopt a “Grandma” or “Grandpa” at a local nursing home

97. Share your musical talents at a retirement facility

98. Teach an emergency preparedness training class at a PTA or youth group meeting

99. Donate emergency supplies to needy families

100. Share a smile, a hug or a word of encouragement with everyone you meet!

Jordan Marlins

Troop 30 (Sponsored by Bethlehem Ruritan Club)