One Hour A Week

A little while back, I was tasked with creating the printed program for our District’s annual volunteer recognition dinner. I wanted to find a different way to say “Thank You” on the last page. I ended up going with a poem.

A Whole New Program

We have always had a printed program at these dinners. In the past, they have listed every single charter org, unit, and new Eagle Scout in the entire district for te year prior. They also list some, but not all award recipients, and ended with a thank you to those who help plan or donated to the dinner. The program as has a timeline that was never even remotely accurate. Little was in the program for what the different awards meant, outside of the District Award of Merit. And people were often missed in the thank you list, leading to hurt feelings.

We decided to significantly reduce what was printed in past years. This meant it was time to completely reinvent and revamp the whole thing from top to bottom. I shifted away from naming individuals and instead have a brief write up of what each award was for or how it was earned. I also shift from listing Eagles to highlighting some cool metrics, like how many merit badges were earned across the entire district.

I’m pretty pleased with how it came out in the end. I especially like the little poem at the end. It recognizes the fact that very few scouters have any idea what they are really signing up for when they start out. And it avoids having a lit of names where someone can be accidentally missed.

One Hour A Week

“One hour a week, that’s all it will take,”
They said. You believed. Was that a mistake?

One hour for meetings. One hour for plans.
One hour for Merit Badges. And lending spare hands.
One hour for campouts. For trips, rain or shine.
One hour for racing all those cars made of pine.
One hour for Advancement. One hour on trails.
One hour for knot-tying. And campfire tales.
One hour for emails. One hour for games.
One hour in Scouts isn’t measured the same.

If we’re telling the truth, it’s one hour per Scout.
Whether you’re leading or “just helping out.”
“One hour” you mutter, and yet you’re still here.
From Lion to Eagle, and year after year.

You know what you’re building can’t be measured in time.
It’s courage and character. It’s Grit by design.
We give thanks for the hours, you freely impart.
One week may take many, but you give from the heart.