Demonstrating the importance of serving your community should start at an early age, and thankfully, we have seen numerous examples of young citizens giving back to and investing in St. Charles County. One such example the Council had the opportunity to recognize recently is Dustin Whitman, a member of Boy Scout Troop 351.
Dustin used his skills to construct flag collection boxes for the public to drop off used or damaged American flags. He presented one box to the County’s Veterans Best Practices Working Group (VBPWG) during the Group’s annual Flag Collection last June, and this box now is installed at the entrance of the County Administration Building on Second Street in St. Charles. A second box he completed is planned to be placed at Veterans Tribute Park in Weldon Spring.
These beautiful, bright red boxes are made of metal and are powder coated to prevent rusting, providing a year-round drop-off site for flags that can be accessed by the public at their convenience. Flags collected in these boxes will be disposed of ceremoniously. The VBPWG is grateful for this donation of time and resources, and I join them in honoring Dustin’s generosity and service to our community. The Council and the VBPWG presented a resolution to Dustin at our meeting on Feb. 28 to honor his work.
I encourage you to take the time to recognize other examples of public service as you encounter them, especially those conducted by young people with big hearts. While my position as a council member enables me to hear and see much of the good news generated in our county, what makes me most hopeful for our future are the efforts put forth by our future leaders such as Dustin. Thank you for sharing with your community!