Cub Scouts send soldiers packages

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Brandon Honeycutt of Cub Scout Troop 423 prepares boxes full of supplies and gifts to be sent to troops in Iraq. The Dibrell group recently undertook the mission of making Christmas merrier for the servicemen overseas. (Photo provided)

Hoping to provide some holiday cheer to the troops serving in Iraq, Cub Scout Troop 423 of Dibrell recently set about a mission to send care boxes overseas.

“They really loved doing it,” said Rhonda Wood, who is one of the leaders of the scout troop. “They all got to decide what they wanted to get for the packages and did their own shopping, so it was a real hands-on experience.”

Wood said the scouts learned of the need for Christmas packages for the overseas troops from the Army Chaplain at Fort Campbell and decided they would take it on as their holiday project. The boxes prepared by the scouts included a wide assortment of items, including holiday decorations and small Christmas trees, CDs, disposable cameras, games, calling cards and hygiene products. The requests also included items the soldiers could pass out to children in Iraq, including small toys and soccer balls.

After gathering the gifts, the scouts met to package the items in boxes and to send them out by the deadline which fell last month. Wood pointed out the boxes had to be shipped a month in advance to ensure they would arrive in Iraq by Christmas day. The activity, Wood said, was educational for the entire troop.

“It helped to show them our community goes far beyond Warren County,” Wood said.

Cub Scout troop members include Tyler Stoner, Will Rose, Danny Wells, Justin Johnson, Wesley Cleland, Christian Cleland, Joshua Davenport, Hayden Hildreth, Bo Tate, Alan Sandlin, Trevan Johnson, Houston Wood, Brandon Honeycutt, Ricky Stoner, David Scott and Nathan Jacobs.

Den leaders are Todd and Rhonda Wood, Ann Hildreth and Melissa Johnson. The pack leader is Tami Stoner. The pack is sponsored by North Warren Fire Department and includes first through fifth-graders.