The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Editorials

October 17, 2012

Impact of ‘The Initiative’ will be huge

Nine months from now, southern West Virginia will really know Boy Scouts

Over the weekend the Citizens Conservation Corps of West Virginia released a list of community service projects in which tens of thousands of Boy Scouts will participate next summer.

Yes, next summer. Nine months from now.

The projects number about 350 and will be performed in a nine-county area during the 2013 National Jamboree.

Approximately 300,000 volunteer service hours will be donated to West Virginia communities and counties through “The Initiative.”

Do any of us really have the capacity to grasp just how extensive and far-reaching this is going to be?

We don’t think so because the magnitude of what is going to take place, in just a few short days next July, has never been witnessed before in these parts — if anywhere for that matter.

These projects are going to bring dozens of major improvements and upgrades to various towns and organizations that either wouldn’t have had them happen or would have otherwise taken many months or years to complete.

And financially, how do you calculate the worth of 300,000 hours?

The term game-changer has been espoused by many since we learned about the coming of The Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve. That reference can be divvied out in countless ways, but it certainly does apply when it comes to “The Initiative” and everything that comes with it.

Be prepared for the Boy Scouts, they are preparing for us.

 

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