Duke of Edinburgh's Award BC and Yukon Division pages about all aspects of the award and how to participate plus contacts


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SERVICE

Introduction
Suggested Service
Real Life Situations




INTRODUCTION

SERVICE IS COMMITMENT TO THE NEEDS OF OTHERS WITHOUT PAY.

GOAL

To encourage participants to realize that, as members of a community, they have a responsibility to others and that their help is needed.

OBJECTIVE

It is hoped that participant will find pleasure and satisfaction in helping others, leading to a lifelong commitment to volunteer community service.

COMMITMENTS

BRONZE 15 hours spread over 6 months
SILVER 30 hours spread over 6 months
DIRECT SILVER 45 hours spread over 12 months
GOLD 60 hours spread over 12 months
DIRECT GOLD 90 hours spread over 18 months

Participants Must

  • Take training where needed
  • Perform the required number of hours over the minimum time period
  • Record all service work in the record book
  • Be assessed on the work done

Training, such as first aid training in order to serve with the St. John Ambulance, or time spent on training at cadet meetings, may only count for up to 1/3 of the total hours required for the Award, eg, Bronze requires 15 hours total, therefore 5 may come from training.

A large amount of service time performed in a concentrated period, for example,, camp counselor, or manning a first aid station at special events, may only count for up to 1/3 of the total time required at a given level.

Service must be spread over the duration of the time requirement.

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SUGGESTED SERVICE
(This list is not comprehensive)

INDIVIDUALS IN NEED
  • Visit and assist the elderly, disabled, invalid, or physically challenged on a regular basis to provide assistance with shopping, gardening, various domestic needs or simply to provide companionship.
HOSPITALS AND CARE CENTRES
  • Helping at a hospital, nursing home, day care center for the elderly, physically or mentally challenged, or children's centers.
  • Helping with recreational activities, organizing outings or entertainment. Reading to or writing for individuals.
  • Visiting persons in detention centers under auspices of the proper authorities.
  • Helping with a local newsletter, information attendant, candy striper, gift shop attendant, etc.
YOUTH WORK
  • Acting as a leader in a youth club.
  • Coaching community sports for youth including the disabled.
  • Teaching Sunday School or giving service at one's place of worship.
  • Acting as a leader in the Award Program.
COMMUNITY AFFAIRS
  • Working with skilled people to teach literacy or educate the community on other important issues such as AIDS, birth control, and harassment.
  • Assist with community awareness programs such as Project Blue Light, Neighborhood Watch, and Block Parents.
  • Assisting with church organizations and outreach programs.
  • Helping at the local food bank or organizing food drives.
  • Working with a local drug or alcohol awareness program.
  • Fund raising for a local charity such as the Canadian Cancer Society, Heart and Stroke Foundation, Canadian Diabetes Association, Canadian National Institute for the Blind, or the Kidney Foundation.
  • Volunteering time to help look after and clean a community building such as a church, or a community hall, etc.
ENVIRONMENT SERVICES
  • Participating in a conservation project such as cleaning a local waterway, or providing nesting boxes for birds.
  • Adopting a park or section of highway.
  • Cleaning litter from a local park, school yard or playground on a regular basis.
  • Promoting recycling through a program such as Project Blue Box, paper collection in your school, pop bottle and can collection for a local charity, club, or organization.
  • Caring for animals that are threatened.
EMERGENCY SERVICES
  • Learning First Aid or Home Nursing and using it through regular volunteer service at a nursing home, on your school's emergency response team, or as a first aider at community events.
  • Volunteering with your local community fire department, search and rescue or ambulance service.
  • Becoming part of the local Emergency Measures Organization.
  • Becoming a certified life saver and assisting youth groups by providing swimming supervision and first aid services.
SCHOOL SERVICES
  • Offer your time as a tutor, peer helper, or member of student council / leadership team.
  • Assist with the school library.
  • Serve on dance committee or special activities.
  • Promote groups such as Amnesty International, Christian Fellowship, Red Cross Youth, SADD, Choir, Drama, Yearbook


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REAL LIFE SITUATIONS


Q: Can being a server at church count for my Gold?

A: Yes. Remember that the training required can only count for 1/3 of the total hours.

Q: Can a person qualify for Bronze service by helping with Scouts for 7 hours and taking an 8 hour first aid course?

A: No. The Bronze level requires 15 hours of service. Only 1/3 of these may come from any combination of training. Therefore, 5 hours of First Aid training can count (1/3 of 15) and the full 7 hours that were spent helping with Scouts which adds up to 12 hours. Three hours of service is still required before the person can qualify.

Q: Can the Bronze service be done in three days?

A:No. This approach does not instill or demonstrate a sense of commitment on the part of the individual and may be seen as an easy way out for those who fail to plan effectively. The service should be spread throughout the six months. No single day should count for more that 1/3 of the service time required.

Q: Can helping my soccer team fund-raise several thousand dollars in order to afford to travel to a playoff qualify as service?

A: No. As a team member you stand to benefit personally and will be compensated for your efforts in the form of travel. The individual is not to experience personal gain from the form of service pursued.

Q: Can I use the part of my Physical Education Leadership course at school, where I am required to coach a junior team, as my service?

A: Yes, but only if the service time you count is in addition to whatever time is required as part of your school work time. It must be clearly demonstrated that the service time counted is additional voluntary effort.

Q: Do I have to stick to only one type of service or can I do several activities and have them count as service? I already do things like sing in the choir, paint sets at school, visit the nursing home, help with little league, and help clean the recreation center.

A:Yes. A person may perform several types of service and have them all count towards the level being sought. Just remember to have someone or several people oversee the areas of service being performed and sign the record book accordingly.

Q: Can I help my father look after our Scout troop's camp equipment for my service?

A: Yes, but have another Scout leader be the assessor for this so as to remove any conflict of interest and to document what you do.

Q: I volunteer for a week in the summer as a counsellor at our church's youth camp. Can the 70 hours of service I provide count as my Gold service?

A: No. You may only count up to 1/3 of the hours required for a particular service level. If you were Direct Gold you could be credited with 30 hours (1/3 of the 90 hours required). If you were Silver going for Gold you could be credited with 20 hours of service (1/3 of the 60 hours required). Any single service project may only count for up to 1/3 of the time requirement. Service time must be spread out over the duration of the Award level.

Q: I serve on the executive committee of our local recreation center's youth program. Does this count as service?

A: Yes. Active participation as a youth group executive member is counted as service. This includes Boys and Girls Clubs and Scouting's Youth Forum.

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