Evans Boy Scout Troop Collects Over 100 Trees This Year

"The most worthwhile thing is to try to put happiness into the lives of others." ~Robert Baden-Powell-British Army officer, writer, founder, and first Chief Scout of the worldwide Scout Movement. Our local Boy Scout Troops are striving to do just that. One CSRA troop that has gone above and beyond this holiday season is Boy Scout Troop 643. This Troop in Evans is part of the Georgia-Carolina Council, Boy Scouts of America. At 8 am on Sunday, while many in the CSRA were eating breakfast and preparing to start their day, Boy Scout Troop 643 hit the road to collect live Christmas Trees as part of their annual Troop fundraiser.

You see, each year the Troop, run by volunteer adults, provides a fundraiser Christmas tree pickup to the community by recycling live trees at the end of the season. This provides the community with a way to dispose of their trees in a way that benefits our community animals, the ecosystem, local charities, and the troops alike. CSRA families provide a donation for the service. Then their donation goes to help to fund summer camp and scouting unit dues. It's a great way to finish up the season of giving with a flourish!

The troop spent their morning loading the donated trees onto trailers and taking them to the lake to provide for fish habitats. And this year, Troop 643 has also provided the trees to local farm organizations for goats. The goats enjoy the pine needles and in fact, the pine needles serve as a natural de-wormer for the goats, which is a nice health benefit to them as well.

Troop Committee Chair Cynthia Stein said "The community once again have showed their appreciation with their donations for pick up. This year was a record for with 113 trees and 10 scouts collecting using 3 trailers with parent drivers. This truly teaches these boys to give back to the community and the community gives back to them. The funds earned help defer their dues/summer camp fees. And we always say, "No Tree Left Behind" so even at 5 pm when we got the call for another tree pickup, we got it. This year our donations went to Barnyard Buddies in Grovetown, Mad Hatter Farm in Harlem for their goats, and to the Corps of Engineers at Keg Creek to support fish habitats."

Troop 643 has been very active in the community over the years. They have assisted businesses and other non-profit organizations by providing community service help and Eagle Projects. The Eagle project is the capstone requirement for a scout to earn the Eagle Scout Award. If you have a child that might be interested in scouting, they would love to have you join them. Youth can join a Scout troop who have earned the Arrow of Light rank as a Cub Scout and are at least 10 years old or have completed the fifth grade and are at least 10, or who are 11, but not yet 18 years old. Troop 643 welcomes prospective scouts to check out their Troop when they meet each Tuesday evening. You can schedule a visit by contacting the Troop Committee Chair, Cynthia Stein at steinrader@gmail.com.

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As we step into the New Year, it's a great time to clean up our homes and get a fresh start. A survey by Cinch Home Services found that many people have been on a cleaning spree. According to the survey by the home warranty provider, 70.3% of respondents have engaged in a cleaning spree since the start of last year, with 62.6% expressing a "very or extremely" committed attitude toward maintaining cleanliness. Despite these efforts, 45.9% still admit feeling embarrassed about the current state of their living spaces.

In light of these findings, it's worth considering the impact of physical clutter on our cognitive processes. Researchers at the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and other brain-mapping tools, discovered that an abundance of objects in our visual fields hinders information processing. Essentially, the presence of too much stuff limits our ability to focus on the task at hand.

Additionally, a sleep study conducted by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine revealed that people sleeping in cluttered rooms are more prone to developing sleep problems and are at a higher risk of developing hoarding disorders.

Recognizing the challenge of finding motivation for decluttering, The Spruce, a home and lifestyle website, provides helpful tips. They recommend using a decluttering checklist to simplify the process, making decisions about what to clear out more manageable. Additionally, using such a checklist allows you to track your progress by checking items off as you work through it. It’s a simple yet motivating and empowering act.

The Spruce recommends focusing on little victories instead of trying to tackle everything at once. This makes the whole process less overwhelming.

For more help, The Spruce breaks down which rooms to clean first and what items to get rid of in each room.  You can find their complete guide here.

Check out some of the top items below.

Expired items take the lead on their bathroom decluttering agenda. This includes makeup that has expired or is no longer used, along with medicines and prescriptions that have reached their expiration date or are no longer necessary. Additionally, items like dried-out nail polish, skincare products, and makeup samples are on their bathroom declutter list.

Paper clutter tops the list for decluttering the bedroom, followed by books that won't be revisited and old magazines. It's perfectly fine to part ways with these items, especially if they've been sitting around gathering dust. You can even opt for something digital instead of having paper as your go-to.

A common decluttering challenge we all face is the overflowing closet. According to The Spruce, the first step is to address clothes that no longer fit. They also advise getting rid of items that haven't been worn in over nine months.

When it comes to your kitchen, duplicate kitchen tools take precedence on their decluttering list. This includes items like extra vegetable peelers, bottle openers, and garlic presses. They also recommend getting rid of appliances that you use only once a year or less. Yes, even if it's that toaster oven collecting dust on your counter.