Investiture Achievement/Friend/Serving Others

	Friend/Serving Others

Requirement 1

In consultation with your leader, plan ways and find opportunities to spend time being a friend with someone in need.

There are many ways to meet the needs of others. You can:

• Participate in a food drive for the hungry
• Collect blankets, coats, gloves, scarves, and new socks for the homeless in your area
• Visit lonely seniors in their homes (ask for an invitation first)
• Visit lonely seniors in nursing homes
• Visit the sick in a hospital (in very small groups).
• Yard clean-up for the elderly
• Collect new, unopened toys for the Toys-for-tots (or similar) program.
• Donate time to your local food bank
• Participate in an activity organized for individuals with special needs
• Volunteer at your local community garden
• Start a charity hat project for cancer patients
• Volunteer to read and record books for the blind
• Walk an elderly neighbor’s dog or help them take care of their pet for some time

Requirement 2

Spend at least four hours participating in projects that benefit the church or school.

This can be accomplished by participating in one long project, or many shorter projects. If your church has a work bee, that is one way to meet this. But there are others. Your club could organize its own work bee or project. Here are some ideas:

Clean the church or school's carpets

Rent a steam vac from a local outlet (grocery stores often supply them).

Sweep the parking lot

If you live in an area that gets a lot of snow, the lot will likely be treated with sand all through the winter, and will need to be swept clean in the spring. Be sure to load the sand into wheelbarrows and dump it someplace. If you just sweep it off the edge of the lot, the next several rains will wash it right back on. Sweeping it into the grass will not be good for the lawn (especially if the sand was mixed with salt).

Yard work

Pick up branches, rake leaves, pull grass out of the sidewalks, etc.

Wash the windows

Churches and schools usually have lots of windows, making it easy to divide the work up among everyone in the club.

Fund raisers

Any time your school sells things to raise money, you help the school by participating.

Clean the kitchen after potluck

Sometimes it's hard to get people to help in the kitchen after a potluck. If you are willing to pitch in, your presence will be very welcome in the kitchen.

Help with the Adventurers

Check with the Adventurer director to see if they need help. Pathfinders are capable of teaching Adventurer Awards. It's a good idea to have an adult mentor present to handle discipline and keep things on track.

Participate in a remodeling project

Plant a “giveaway” community garden

Trail Friend

Requirement 3

Complete Friend requirements.

You must complete the requirements listed above this one on the current page.

Requirement 4

Bring someone who does not regularly attend church to a church program or activity.

This can be an intimidating assignment for some people. They get the idea that they are inviting strangers to an evangelistic series. It need not be that difficult (though inviting a stranger to an evangelistic series would certainly count). The Pathfinder can invite any friend or relative who does not attend church to any number of church activities, including Pathfinder activities (though you should check with your director first). Here are some examples:

• Induction service
• Investiture service
• Christmas program
• Church social
• Church service
• Your own baptism, or the baptism of a mutual friend.
• Pathfinder outing (check with your director first)
  • Hike
  • Christmas caroling
  • Visit a fire station
• Community service event
  • Can collecting
  • Nursing home visitation
  • Park clean-up