Boy Scouts from all over the country devoted five days to projects to give back.
Photo Courtesy of Foster Sheppard
Concord University’s Callaghan Stadium received a facelift as a part of Boy Scouts Giving Back Community Service project.
This year, Boy Scouts from all over the country gathered in Fayette County, West Virginia, for the quadrennial National Scout Jamboree, and devoted five days to projects connected to giving back to the community. The Jamboree contacted public organizations in Fayette, Greenbrier, Kanawha, McDowell, Mercer, Monroe, Nicholas, Raleigh, Summers, and Wyoming counties, asking if they needed help. Concord University was one of the organizations asked to make a list of tasks for the Boy Scouts to accomplish.
Rick Dillon, Vice President for Administration and Associate Dean of Students, and Lora Woolwine, Executive Secretary to the President, came up with three project ideas. Painting the bleachers on the home side of the football stadium was one of the biggest suggested projects and the one thing most needed but for which Dillon had no manpower. To the schools surprise, the Jamboree chose that very same project.
“It was just a service project for them, but really a life-savor for the college,” says Dillon. “I don’t know how we can repay that kind of kindness.”
For five days at the end of July, a troop of Boy Scouts came to paint the stadium. It was a new troop, 40-45 boy troop each day, all from different states. There were troops from Arizona, Texas, New Jersey, Minnesota and Oregon. Concord provided scouts with the equipment and the paint bought on extremely short notice. It was about 40-50 gallons of the Maroon paint alone, Dillon estimates.
The painting of the bleachers on the home side of the stadium was divided into five sections, one for each troop. Dillon, understanding Concord staff was very busy during the summer, volunteered to be the primary supervisor for the process.
Even though the scouts were very willing workers, each day began with teaching a new troop how to paint.
When the Boy Scouts completed the project, there was still some retouching work to be done, as the scouts didn’t have professional painting experience. Yet, Dillon says he is very thankful for the great job the Scouts did. “We never expected them to finish that stadium, but they did, in fact.”
“We were impressed by and thankful for the Scouts’ hard work, their attitudes of service, and their leaders’ assistance in helping us to have the project completed within one week,” says Concord President Kendra Boggess. “In fact, one day during that week, they sent 80 Boy Scouts and 40 of the Scouts pulled every weed on campus and at our properties across the street. It was a very good day.”
Later this fall, Concord will be installing a plaque at the stadium to honor the Scouts’ contribution and the names of the states from which they came. “The Boy Scouts Day of Service was indeed a welcomed contribution to returning another part of the ‘Campus Beautiful’ back to a standard of which we can all be proud,” says President Boggess.
Now the stadium is completely done and ready for the new season. “One of the things we pride ourselves in is making our facilities look the best they can possibly look,” Kevin Garrett, Concord athletic director, said for the school press release. “This will go a long way in helping us meet this goal.”