Community obligations: The University should consider local duties

Local Boy Scout troops will end their long-standing relationship with UNC football this fall and will be looking for new ways to raise money.

For decades the Boy Scouts and local booster clubs sold concessions at UNC sporting events earning a commission on their sales that regularly went right back to the community.

As of July 1 UNC Athletics made a change in gameday concession contractors from Coke Classic to Aramark.

The new contractor offered the University a better financial proposition but it came with fine print: No one under the age of 16 will be allowed to sell concessions at Kenan Stadium.

This change will prevent the young boys of local troops from experiencing some of the greatest joys the University has to offer them — a sense of pride in their community their local university and themselves.

Boy Scout Troop 820 has been serving concessions at football games since before 1985 but because of the age limit they will be forced to discontinue their tradition.

Most Boy Scout troops have members as young as 11 and as old as 18 so the age barrier will prohibit them from fundraising together.

And Troop 820 at least wants to stick together so they will not be working football concessions at all.

The University has a responsibility to serve its community and despite the budget crisis it should continue to stand by its responsibilities.

Boy Scouts pride themselves on providing a program for young men that builds character and trains them to be responsible active citizens.

Selling concessions was not a job for them but a responsibility they had to their community.

The University should consider its responsibility to the community the next time it wants to save a few bucks.