Tis the season to be jolly, and Cub Scout Pack 352 has been hard at work this December spreading Christmas cheer far and wide. The history and tradition of Scouting emphasizes the importance of community service, and there's no better time than Christmas for young Scouts to learn the value of giving. As Charles Dickens once said, "No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another."

On December 3, Pack 352 started the season off with a jaunt down Horton Parkway in Chapel Hill as part of the annual Chapel Hill Christmas Parade. Led by the Rocket Band of Blue, the parade gave Scouts an opportunity to ring in the season by waving to the crowds and spreading Christmas spirit with candy and toys for the little ones.

On December 13, Pack 352 held their annual Christmas party. Old Saint Nick himself made an appearance to find out what the Scouts wanted for Christmas and to pose for a few photos. The jolly old elf even had presents to give out early: each Scout was gifted a kit for building a Pinewood Derby car in preparation for the upcoming Pinewood Derby Race Day in January.

Of course, Christmas isn't all about parties and parades. This season, Pack 352 adopted a special family as part of its Christmas Spirit Service Project. This family of three children is being raised by their grandmother who has sole custody and is on a very limited, fixed income. The Pack raised money to assist with day to day needs for this family. Scouts and their families also donated gifts to help make their Christmas a little brighter. Pack 352 was honored to help meet the needs and wants of these precious children and their grandmother during the Christmas Season.

One particular Scout combined the spirit of Christmas with the tradition of Scouting to develop a service project that is worth special mention. All Cub Scouts, no matter what age, must earn their Bobcat badge before advancing to any other rank. To earn the Bobcat badge, a boy must learn and understand the Cub Scout motto, the Scout Oath, and the Scout Law. Additionally, the boy must learn how to show the Cub Scout sign, salute, and handshake and tell what they mean.

The Bobcat badge is awarded to the new Scout at a special ceremony where a Scout Leader pins the badge upside-down on the Scout's chest. The Scout is instructed that he must do a good deed; only then can he turn the badge rightside-up and affix it permanently to his uniform. Most Scouts fulfill this requirement by doing something nice for a sibling, or helping their parents around the house. Tiger Scout Brody Brashears saw this as an opportunity to give back in a big way.

When Brody, a first grader at Oak Grove Elementary, learned that he had to do a good deed, he decided that he wanted to share his love for reading with children at a local hospital. He and his mother, Chasity Underwood, made a video and posted it on FaceBook. They explained Brody's good deed project and called on all their friends and family to gather up their unwanted books for Brody and his mother to collect - and collect they did! In the end, Brody donated more 200 books and coloring/activity books to the pediatric ward at Maury Regional Hospital.

This fine Scout's initiative to take a small badge requirement and turn it into something great exemplifies the values that all Scouts strive to attain, and something that we can all appreciate. Pack 352 hopes this story helps to make the season a little brighter for you, and wishes all the residents of Marshall County a very Merry Christmas!

Cub Scout Pack 352 holds weekly meetings every Tuesday at 6:15 p.m. at the Chapel Hill Church of Christ. Anyone interested in Scouting is encouraged to attend. For more information, visit us online at chapelhilltnpack352.org and facebook.com/chapelhillpack352, or call Ronnie Headley, Pack Committee Chair, at (931) 364-4647.