Scouting promotes a culture where each youth, volunteer, and employee feels a sense of belonging and builds communities where every person feels respected and valued. Leading by example and encouraging each other to live by the values expressed by the Scout Oath and Scout Law, we welcome families of all backgrounds to help prepare young people to serve as successful members and leaders of our nation’s increasingly diverse communities.
To develop and deliver resources within PTAC to aid Scouts, Scouters, and families to further enhance leadership skills and prepare them to serve and thrive in a world of increasing complexity, while promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the council.
“When I was fifteen, my personal journey in the BSA program began. In 2017, I spent my summer at Owasippe Scout Reservation as a Counselor In Training (C.I.T.). At the time, I was placed at Reneker Family Camp, because females were not allowed in the Scouts BSA program at the time. Owasippe opened my eyes to all that scouting has to offer. I met staff who welcomed me with open arms and taught me how to be an effective leader at camp…
In 2018, I heard that the Boy Scouts of America would be allowing females to join troops. My dad and I sat with people figuring out the logistics of starting a linked female troop and we started recruiting. When February 1st, 2019 came around, I became the Founder and Senior Patrol Leader of Troop 668. That same weekend, members of my troop were already working on camping requirements at our district Klondike. I was very eager to work through the ranks, merit badges, and adventures that the program offered, especially since I only had two years to do it all. In 2021, I became a member of the Inaugural class of female Eagle Scouts.”
“Scouting has been a huge part of my life since Elementary school. In Pack 3668, I was the sibling who followed their brother around and did everything he did because it was fun. If there was a Pack Night, Pinewood Derby, fishing event, or a hike, I would be there without a doubt. When my brother crossed over into Troop 668, I still went to events to learn about the outdoor skills and life lessons that scouting provided. When I was fifteen, my personal journey in the BSA program began. In 2017, I spent my summer at Owasippe Scout Reservation as a Counselor In Training (C.I.T.). At the time, I was placed at Reneker Family Camp, because females were not allowed in the Scouts BSA program at the time. Owasippe opened my eyes to all that scouting has to offer. I met staff who welcomed me with open arms and taught me how to be an effective leader at camp. I was given the opportunity to lead hikes and teach campers about nature in Michigan and Leave No Trace ethics. I taught kids how to fish and witnessed the joy in their eyes as they caught their first fish, even if it was just a small one. The list goes on and on. I loved making an impact on those around me and I decided that Owasippe was my home. I worked there every summer up until 2021 when I was Wolverine’s Handicraft Director.
In 2018, I heard that the Boy Scouts of America would be allowing females to join troops. My dad and I sat with people figuring out the logistics of starting a linked female troop and we started recruiting. When February 1st, 2019 came around, I became the Founder and Senior Patrol Leader of Troop 668. That same weekend, members of my troop were already working on camping requirements at our district Klondike. I was very eager to work through the ranks, merit badges, and adventures that the program offered, especially since I only had two years to do it all. In 2021, I became a member of the Inaugural class of female Eagle Scouts. Even though I Eagled out, my time in my troop is far from over. I am currently an Assistant Scoutmaster for 668G and enjoy mentoring scouts in the program.
Ever since working at Owasippe, I heard about the Order of the Arrow and its values of Brotherhood, Cheerfulness, and Service. These values were always important to me but became pillars of my life when I was inducted into Takhone Lodge in 2020. The weekend that I completed my ordeal has been one of the fondest memories I’ve had during my time in the Lodge. The leadership team made me feel welcomed in their space during Hodag and were excited to get me on a leadership team. I immediately got involved in the Communications sector of the lodge and eventually became the Vice Chief of Communications for the 2021-2022 term. The Order of the Arrow has changed my life in many ways. In 2022, I spent the entire summer doing activities with the OA. I went on an OA Wilderness Voyage trip at Northern Tier, an OA Trail Crew trip at Philmont, and went to NOAC with the Lodge. These three events challenged me like never before. I learned so much about what the OA means to me, how much I am capable of achieving with hard work, and the bonds of brotherhood that can easily be formed with other Arrowmen. The OA Wilderness Voyage program had such a profound impact on me that I worked up at Northern Tier last summer as an OA Foreman. It felt amazing to give back to the program that taught me so much. The Boundary Waters will forever have a special place in my heart, and I hope to return there again soon. I am currently an Associate Advisor for the ceremonies team
Starting with Owasippe, Scouting has always blessed me with opportunities to work. After my first summer at Owasippe in 2017, I started working at the LaGrange Scout Shop. This job allowed me to learn more about the program and interact with those who were just starting their scouting journey. I worked there when not at Owasippe up until I graduated High School in 2020. When I moved to Michigan for college, I looked to see what part-time scouting jobs were around my school. There happened to be a Scout Shop in Grand Rapids, so I transferred there and worked there all four years I was in college. In the same building as the Scout Shop, I discovered a camp called Adventure Point. When I heard that they were looking for help running the mobile rock wall, I signed up to work for them. Eventually, I took on various roles there including leading field trips, Leadership Summits, and shooting sports weekends. I am currently running the rock wall at Adventure Point’s Day Camp. I started working for the Scoutreach program in Grand Rapids a few years ago, and am also leading their programs this summer. This program is very special to me because I enjoy teaching at-risk youth the values and lessons of scouting. I was fortunate enough to be the first Scoutreach Intern for the Michigan Crossroads Council. I built the entire curriculum for the school year, which allowed me to teach kids about Social Emotional Learning and life skills in addition to the Cub Scout curriculum. I will continue working as a Program Aide for the Scoutreach program for the 2024-2025 school year but in the Lansing, Michigan area.“
“Scouting has played an outstanding role in forming my moral compass and guiding my future goals. Through my journey in Scouting, I have learned the usefulness epitomized in the Scout Law. Moreover, the 12 points of the Scout Law—trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent—serve as a framework that often steers my actions and decisions. These principles remind me to act with integrity, show kindness to others, and strive for excellence.
“Looking back on my Scouting journey, I can safely say that I have done a lot in my 9 years. I earned my Eagle, kept my Vigil, and made my mark in this community. I am forever grateful for the opportunities Scouting has let me experience and would not know what type of person I would be today without them. I’ve had the honor of attending many different local and national events, each of which had an impact on my life. When looking at these events, I think the World Scout Jamboree (WSJ) in 2019 had the greatest impact in my personal life. In 2019, World Jambo was hosted at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia and had 40,000+ participants from over 100 countries. It was a time to not only experience the fun high adventure program the Summit, but also a great time for cultural exchange. With most other scouts being from other countries, it was easy to start a conversation and listen to their beliefs, systems, and way of life. It also showed me how Scouting is a much larger movement across the world than we realize in the States. Despite all of the differences our programs may have, the points of the Scout Oath and Law are shared between all of us across borders.
Before I attended the WSJ, I was not the most open minded about different things. I was young, confused, and easily influenced by hateful opinions online. The idea of anything changing was uncomfortable to me. Because of this, I was opposed to the idea of women joining Scouting when the announcement was first made. Negative influences online exploited my dislike of change and replaced the discomfort with fear and anger. Needless to say, I have grown past that version of myself and am embarrassed I went through that phase at all.
Jamboree put me in a position where my beliefs and biases were actively confronted and challenged. The more I listened to others and saw that most countries had coed scouting, the more I learned from them and unlocked a new world (coincidentally the theme for 2019). My fear and anger was filled with understanding and compassion. I started to understand that this program was for everyone that wanted to come and learn. There was no reason for anyone to not be involved. Anyone who wants to learn and follow the beliefs of Scouting should be able to.
When I got back and continued to work in the Order of the Arrow, I took the lessons I learned from WSJ and tried to make a welcoming environment for everybody. I definitely was not perfect, but I tried to keep being better. I listened to what people shared and tried to understand their perspective. I heard stories about how others ran their troops and I heard about struggles people faced in Scouting. One thing I learned was that there were some unique struggles when it comes to women in scouting. Without going into too much detail, there were some people that were making some women feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. Even when asked to stop, some would not try to understand how their actions (no matter how well or ill-intentioned) can make people feel. I think it was around this time after I started listening with an open mind that I grew to understand the simple fact that I can not know what other people experience. My identity influences how people treat me and how I treat people. I can not fully understand from experience what people of a different race, gender, religion, or orientation go through. Accepting the fact that my identity shapes my world and not the world of everyone else was vital to understanding the importance of listening and understanding.
As I continued to expand my circle in Scouting, I met many Scouts that were different from me. Some were women, some were queer, some were straight, some were Black, some were neurodivergent, some were Jewish, some were nonbinary, but all of them were scouts. All of us share the same values of the Scout Oath and Law. I listened to their stories and grew a little more aware each day of how our differences impact the way we live. Just because something is easy or makes sense to me does not mean it is the same way for everyone.
Listening to others and working with their uniqueness makes our program stronger. It welcomes people in and lets them know that they are safe and cared for. I also found that when others listened to my unique experiences and trusted that I knew myself best, I was able to be comfortable within this community. The opposite is also true. In the few moments where others ignored or brushed away parts of my identity, it made me feel unwelcomed and insignificant.
As I came to this realization, I looked back at how my troop’s scoutmasters treated each other in general. I was a part of a good troop but it was not without its flaws. There was not a lot of room for understanding or adapting to an individual’s needs. There was a culture of doing it like everyone else with little room for listening and adapting. Contrary to what some may believe, when it is difficult to fit in as a teen, putting pressure to fit in does NOT build character. Instead, it just makes that individual feel out of place, pressured, and inadequate. There is a difference between pushing youth to be their best selves and expecting them to be ‘normal’.
Now I find myself getting older and aging out of the youth programs. I am starting to carry the burden of mentoring and advising new youth in our program. It is a responsibility that I take very seriously since these youth are the next generation that will keep building this program onward and upwards. I’m keeping their differences in mind and working with them as much as I can. I know that I am far from perfect, but it’s important to enable the youth to build their own path even if it is different from my own.”
