MISSOULA - When it comes to wrapping up the holidays, that means taking down the decorations, which is always a bummer, but one Boy Scout Troop is aiding in the process.
Troop 1911 is meeting you right at your door to collect Christmas trees.
It's a lesson in service and if you don’t want to do it yourself, Troop 1911 collects those Christmas trees and brings them to Fort Missoula for you, where they are then recycled.
“Service, in general, teaches the scouts about giving back to the community, you know, outside of themselves,” said Troop 1911 Scoutmaster Eric Henderson.
Duty to others is one of the three promises a Boy Scout makes when taking the Scout Oath and Troop 1911 is fulfilling the promise, by picking up Christmas trees in Missoula from the curbs of homes.
“And we'll bring them back here, where they'll be collected by the city and taken to eco compost,” said Boy Scout Eli Henderson.
“One you don't have to drive around, waste gas," said Boy Scout Landen Carter. "Two it's nice to have it off your hands. And then three, I guess it's really just helping us. We help you and you'll help us.”
The troop is paving their way to pay for their camps. So by providing the service, they are learning two things; service and self-reliance. The boys describe it as a win-win situation.
“It's like a win-win situation," said Boy Scout Johnathan McHenry. "We're providing a service to the community, and they have a choice to give us a donation.”
The troop asks that trees be left on the curb as early as possible because they make their rounds starting at 9 a.m.
You can sign up to have your tree picked up at troop1911.org. If you received a flyer on your door, there is no need to sign up.
