Leaders from Garden City and Inkster Partner Together to Expand Scouting Opportunities for Youth

GARDEN CITY, MI and INKSTER, MI - Leaders from organizations in Garden City and Inkster support youth with Scouting America programs that help participants from Kindergarten through 12th grade explore interests, gain skills, make friends, set goals, and get a positive start in life as they grow older. Now, two of these organizations - the Ford Drake Memorial located in Garden City, MI and Inspire Inkster based in Inkster, MI - are combining efforts that support elementary and secondary scouts with a more cohesive program that has the potential to make a stronger impact on the youth in both cities.

Leaders within these organizations are working together to develop a scouting model that expands opportunities for older elementary youth by allowing Webelos (4th grade) and Arrow of Light (5th grade) scouts from Pack 2024 to form a patrol within the context of Troop 1241's regular meetings. The patrol refers to a small group of scouts within a troop that participate in youth-led activities together. Typically, older elementary scouts in packs begin to learn about and utilize this patrol method before they transition to a troop, but they usually do so within a pack meeting that is not attached to a troop.

"Before, the elementary scouts and secondary scouts in the area participated in activities that were separate for the most part," said Sarah Hughey, the President of Inspire Inkster and the Chartered Organization Representative for Pack 2024. "There was some collaboration for special events, but Inkster needs a more connected framework between the elementary packs and secondary troops in order to improve the number of families who continue with the program after their children finish fifth grade. Now, we have a solution to this: a Webelos and Arrow of Light patrol that meets with Troop 1241 from the Ford Drake Memorial."

In this model, the younger and older scouts will participate in meetings together while still maintaining age-appropriate activities. All patrols will meet together for the opening, announcements, recreation, and closing portions of the troop meeting but will conduct other activities and rank requirements within their own patrols. In this way, all scouts of all ages will have their needs met while still allowing interaction and mentorship between the pack-level and troop-level youth. Additionally, leaders in both organizations believe that maintaining consistent meeting times, locations, and relationships with leaders for the elementary and secondary groups support families in feeling comfortable with the troop and continuing with the program past fifth grade.

"My child was sad that he would have to leave his pack leaders soon, but now he gets to keep them!" said Samantha Byrd, a parent whose Webelos scout was happy to hear that the pack leaders would attend the troop meetings to organize the elementary patrol.

"This sounds cool! I want to go!" said Terrell Cain, an Arrow of Light scout who became excited when he heard about meeting with the older scouts in Troop 1241.

Matt Russelburg, the Scoutmaster of Troop 1241 from the Ford Drake Memorial, has strong hopes that this model will help promote scouting in Garden City. Scout leaders from Garden City have long brainstormed around how to recruit elementary youth in the area, as well as how to make it more known to the public that scouting resources exist within the city. Expanding the Ford Drake Memorial programming to include fourth and fifth grade youth helps with these goals.

"We are looking forward to having Webelos and Arrow of Light scouts from Pack 2024 at our troop meeting starting soon," said Russelburg, "We are also planning on inviting the Arrow of Light scouts to a September tent campout and will teach them how to start a fire, cook, clean-up, and other skills."

To participate in activities like this and to learn more about Scouting in your area, go to beascout.scouting.org to find a scouting unit near you. Both boys and girls are invited to join the program. Many units are currently recruiting and are ready to welcome your family to Scouting!

About the Michigan Crossroads Council:

For more than 100 years, the programs of Scouting America (previously called the Boy Scouts of America) have helped build future leaders by combining educational activities and lifelong values with fun and adventure in the outdoors. Since February 2019, the program called "Boy Scouts" now operates under the name "Scouts BSA" with troops for both boys and girls. The Michigan Crossroads Council organization is composed of more than 26,000 youth members and 11,000 registered volunteers in local communities throughout the state. For more information on the Michigan Crossroads Council, please visit www.michiganscouting.org.

For more information about scouting activities in and around Inkster, MI, please contact Sarah Hughey at inspireinkster@gmail.com.

Inspire Inkster
PO Box 11
Inkster, MI 48141

Inspire Inkster is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves Inkster, MI. Its mission is "to inspire and uplift the City of Inkster via supporting the needs of its youth and their families." Inspire Inkster's programming includes Scouting America activities, parent-teacher organization support, free swim lessons, a food pantry, and grants for high school graduates.

This release was published on openPR.