In March 1998, National Park Service Director Robert Stanton announced that in cooperation with Eastern National, (formerly the Eastern National Park and Monument Association) and the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), our national parks will benefit from one million hours of volunteer service through the President's Summit for America's Future. Responding to the growing evidence that young people today face serious threats to their future, the Summit is aimed at bringing America to a new level of commitment to volunteer service.

The National Park Service will work with Eastern National to identify service projects which BSA volunteers 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 Scout leader, consistent with the standards the local Scout council. Scout leaders wishing to participate in the program need simply contact the park volunteer coordinator to initiate a project. When scouts complete the required number of hours of service, each scout will then qualify for a patch.

Recognition

Upon completing at least 12 hours of service at any participating park, the individual qualifies for the Service to America patch that is shown in the masthead above and is authorized for wear on the right pocket of the Scout uniform.

Tracking Hours and Patch Fulfillment

On this Web site, there are two 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 Service to America Coordinator. The form will help track the hours that the Boy Scouts have volunteered at a national park, and it also gives the park the opportunity to update any information on the volunteer opportunities, contact names and numbers that appear on this Web site. If you cannot access this form here at the site, send an e-mail to the Service to America Coordinator at Eastern National at jennifera@easternnational.org. Supply your fax number and we will fax you copies.

The second form is the NPS Service to America Patch Order Form. Upon completion of 12 service hours at any given NPS site, scouts will qualify for the patch shown in the masthead. In order to obtain this patch, Scout leaders should fill out the NPS Service to America Patch Order Form. If you cannot access this form here at the site, send an e-mail to the Service to America Coordinator at Eastern National at jennifera@easternnational.org. Supply your fax number and we will fax you copies. 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. The cost of each NPS & BSA Service to America patch is $1.99 plus shipping and handling.

Available Service Projects

Service projects vary from park to park. Some parks have campgrounds needing repairs. Some have invasive weeds that need to be eradicated and others may have trails that need to be repaired. Most projects will require a short period of planning before they may be initiated. All projects will meet the safety requirements of the NPS and the BSA and will be accomplished according to the youth protection requirements of the BSA. To find parks with projects in your area, please return to the main page and select your state (or it's neighbor!) on the map. Clicking on that state will access a list of parks, projects, and contacts for volunteer opportunities. Have you Scoutmaster call or email the coordinator and you are on your way!

For more information about ordering patches from Eastern National, or questions about either of the two forms, please contact the Service to America Coordinator at Eastern National.

For questions or suggestions about the website itself, please contact the site's Webmaster at Eastern National.

For questions or information about the program itself, please contact Victoria Gross, Assistant for Special Programs.