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Giving Back to the Communities that Support Us

Scouting is Service and Community.  Scouts experience what it means to be a good citizen early and are encouraged to take part in activities that support and boost their communities.  From unit activities to Eagle Scout projects, Scouts give back to the communities that support them.  They also engage with are local leaders and learn from them.  

Nearly 2,000 Scouts and an additional 1,600 volunteers participated in Scouting For Food. Across the state of Michigan, we gathered over 117,000 pounds of food for pantries. Thanks to the efforts of a energized new Scouting For Food chair and committee, we collected almost 30,000 lbs more of food in 2024 than in 2023 and had 23 of our 26 local districts having at least one unit participate.

Scouts, families and the community come together to remember those lives lost on September 11th.  Over the past few years, additional locations have been added throughout the state as we scale this commemoration to reach more communities, including Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Bay City, Albion, Farmington, Riverview, and Traverse City.  Over 1900 patches were earned for participating in one of the events.

Scout Day at the Capitol is the Michigan Crossroad Council’s premier legislative awareness activity, engaging youth with our civic and elected officials right at the Capitol Lawn. Over 700 Scouts and families attended in June, enjoying Scouting activities like STEM, archery, rock wall climbing, and career exploration. The day included a special tour of the state Capitol, with Scouts delivering our annual report to state officials. At the conclusion of the event, our Scouts heard from our Scouting Caucus, as well as keynote speakers Secretary Jocelyn Benson and General Jeffrey Terrill.

GLENN AND MELINDA ADAMS
EAGLE PROJECT OF THE YEAR AWARD

Jason B., of Troop 211, St. Monica Parish in Kalamazoo, was the 2023 Glenn and Melinda Adams Eagle Project of the Year Recipient for the Michigan Crossroads Council. Jason joined as a Tiger in 2013 Pack 211 and earned his Arrow of Light in 2018.  Jason worked out a plan to dispatch a team of volunteers into Riverside Cemetery to survey the graves and record the location of veteran graves in 22 sections. Through the efforts of the volunteers, they identified the final resting places of 733 veterans and added 170 new veteran names to the records for those 22 sections of Riverside Cemetery. The records were tabulated and shared with the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War for future Memorial Day flag placements.