Members of Cub Scout Pack 326 are all smiles as they listen to Den Master Tim Nelson of the CMR Replacement Office (CMRR)project while he gives them some instructions during an evening outing. The community service activities that the young scouts participate in give them a good sense of community and accomplishment, according to Pack leader Dann Alison of CMR Facility Operations (FMU-9). Photo by Dann Alison, FWO-CMR
Although some residents on the "Hill" have been scout leaders for decades, Dann Alison has been leading his 11-year-old son's Webelo Den, part of Cub Scout Pack 326, for only a year. Alison is one of a dozen volunteers in the White Rock-based pack, part of the Great Southwest Council of the Boy Scouts of America, which receives funding from the Northern New Mexico/Los Alamos chapter of the United Way.
A mechanical engineer with Systems Engineering and Utility Operations in the CMR Facility Operations Group (FMU-9) in the Facility and Waste Operation (FWO) Division for the past four years, and a former Cub Scout and Boy Scout himself, Alison points out that in addition to being fun, scouting promotes community service.
"Scouting provides adventure, companionship and challenge during potential idle times," said Alison. "In addition, the scouting mission is to serve others by helping instill values in young people and to prepare them to make ethical choices over their lifetime to achieve their full potential. The program helps boys and young adults build desirable qualities of character. It also trains them in the responsibilities of participating citizenship and helps develop personal and emotional fitness. Most importantly, the program helps kids' self-confidence and self-esteem through volunteering, achievement and advancement."
Each year, Alison's pack participates in a number of community service events and programs that he says fosters a concern for others and a willingness to help. Along with other scouting groups in the community and the U.S. Postal Service, the boys and their families collect food and other necessities to help support local food banks. Nearly all of the pack's members participate in these collections, which occur outside of Smith's grocery stores in the fall and spring. This year, members collected hundreds of pounds of food and other donations, valued in the thousands of dollars."The kids have a great time and are given a good sense of accomplishment and community for their efforts," Alison said.
The Cub Scout pack also adopts a family around the Christmas holidays, taking donations from within the pack membership based upon the family's desires and needs. Last year, the pack collected clothing, toys, shoes, and Smith's gift certificates, with a total value of approximately $1,000. The gifts were provided to the family anonymously through a local church to help make the holiday period more cheerful.
In another holiday activity, Pack 326 has assisted the Salvation Army bell ringers, who conduct active money collection outside the doors of many businesses in the community.
"Pack 326 members took shifts all day outside of the Smith's in White Rock, " Alison said. "Lots of donations were accepted and smiles and greetings exchanged. It was a pleasant way to spend a day, and the kids were beaming by the end."
Members of the pack also have contributed to the Cerro Grande Fire recovery efforts. They spent an evening making seed balls to aid volunteers in burn-area recovery, helped re-seed native plants and planted ponderosa pine trees in an area above Arizona Street.
"We were merely one group of many who have been doing the same activities with the goal of making our community better through our involvement, " Alison said. "There are only around 40 scouts and families in Pack 326, but our commitment, coupled with that of other scout groups in the area, pays huge dividends back into the community."
--Kay Roybal
