My name is William Chapin, the Patrol Leader of The Aztecs Patrol, in our local Scout Troop, Troop 223. As a Patrol, we decided to help give back to our community by completing our Good Turn Trip at the Upward Bound House Community Garden and Farm. On October 18th, we spent the afternoon feeding hundreds of people, just by gardening.
As the afternoon came, We arrived at the garden, located conveniently in the heart of Santa Monica on Yale Street, ready to work. We were greeted and helped by a friendly garden helper named Brett, who we later learned has been dedicated to helping the garden for a long time. After meeting Brett, we got geared up to start cleaning up the garden. As planting season had begun, our first task was to help set up the irrigation, which was crucial for keeping the vegetables healthy. Some of my Scouts took initiative by cutting more irrigation pipes. They cut so much that Brett commented, "You cut me enough to last the whole season!" While those Scouts were doing that, the rest of us started to attach the irrigation pipes to the main water. This job was a bit hard at first, but it turned out great.
Now with the irrigation complete, it was time to plant. Our Patrol found it so fascinating to learn about the types of vegetables that were being planted. They asked questions like "What plant is that?" It was such a wonderful thing seeing my Scouts so interested. We planted so many plants, like lettuce, green onions, bunching onions, eggplants, and even beets! We learned how to properly plant, separate, and maintain the plants. It was such a great way to learn while helping such a great organization.
As you may expect, gardening is not clean, and most of our Scouts were tired and dirty after the end. But I think we all agreed that it was worth it to help our community, and we would definitely help again. "I hope we can come here again," said a few of my Scouts. Now, looking back on our service, it makes me smile knowing that myself and my fellow Scouts helped make food more accessible to people who need it.
If you were inspired by this article, and have a 5-8th grader, you can tour and join Palisades Scouts BSA Troop 223 by emailing Greg Frost: frostfamily@frostinvestigations.com(Boys Troop) or Larry Kirven troop223Girls@gmail.com(Girls Troop)
William chapin, Special to the Daily Press
