For the past 4 years, our troop has been travelling across the city to Ft. Snelling Veterans Cemetery to team up with other local troops in an Order of the Arrow sponsored service project. In one day, the scouts remove all the wreaths that were placed by veterans' headstones before Christmas.

This year, the weather was around freezing so it was a great day and easier work. Two years ago, our troop was one of only a couple that showed up because it was soooooo cold. Just snipping plastic ties was a challenge that day.

Besides cleaning up the ragged, weather-worn wreaths, the scouts get a glimpse into history by reading many of the headstones and learning when all these soldiers died. The row upon row upon row of graves cause at least some of the scouts to pause. We've even had a few conversations about costs of freedom, responsibilities as scouts, respecting veterans, and responsibilities as scouts.

You might check in your community to see if a similar service could be done.

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