by orionontv | Jan 24, 2023 | Scouting
Brandon Kathman FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Sr. District Executive & Operations Marketing Lead 1/24/2023
[email protected]
947-886-5736
Scouts’ Competition Adapts to Warmer Winter
Local Scouts held their annual winter “Hodag” competition with over 220 participants on Jan 21;
this was accomplished in spite of abnormally high temperatures and a lack of snow at Camp
Agawam in Lake Orion.
The event, which is modeled after the Alaskan Iditarod sled race, pits Scout troops in friendly
competition as they travel between stations designed to test their skills. Hosted by the youth of
Scouting’s honor society, the Order of the Arrow, the event requires troops to stow their gear in a
sled dragged from station to station.
“The planning for this year’s Hodag was different than before,” Chapter Chief Teo Gammons, 17,
of the Order of the Arrow, said. “We brought new activities to the event. People had fun, even
though the sled race had to be modified.”
Temperatures in the upper 30s and a series of atypical rainstorms left the campgrounds damp and
muddy for an event typically reliant on snow. However, according to Gammons, the Scouting
program teaches youth to innovate and overcome new challenges.
Many troops outfitted their sleds with wheels to become chariots of sorts, ensuring their use would
still be possible, even on a muddy field. Order of the Arrow members took turns carrying their
mascot, “Manny,” a 50-pound stuffed moose, in the races as an unofficial competitor; when the
youth became tired, several adult volunteers stepped up to carry the oversized plush animal.
“Hodag is an event I look forward to every year,” Anthony Goatley, 16, of Lake Orion Troop 284,
said. “The energy is wonderful, and it’s always nice to see some old friends.”
Saint Clair Shores Troop 1407 ultimately carried the day, winning the competition. However,
according to one local Scout, Manny was just a “different kind of winner.”
According to Field Director Bob DeWar, the success of the event in spite of uncooperative
weather conditions speaks to the resilience of the youth leadership.
“We are so proud of the amazing young people who step up and lead their own adventures in
Scouting,” DeWar said. “This was another great event, and the high attendance speaks to the trust
our movement has in its young leaders.”
Picture 1: Clarkston Troop 189 races in a grudge match against Manny the Moose, carried by local executive Brandon Kathman.
Picture 2: Troop 1407 are named winners of the 2023 Hodag competition.
Picture 3: Lake Orion Scout Liam O’Dea holds up a stuffed fish, making a joke about “frozen fish.”
Picture 4: Lake Orion Troop 128G competes in a game of giant Jenga.
Picture 5: Lake Orion Troop 128B races to assemble a tent.
Picture 6: Troop 128G pulls a modified sled, converted into a chariot of sorts.
Picture 7: Wheeled sleds race against Manny the Moose, carried by Liam O’Dea.
by orionontv | Jan 10, 2023 | Scouting
Brandon Kathman FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Sr. District Executive & Operations Marketing Lead 1/10/2023
[email protected]
947-886-5736
Michigan Scouts See Membership Boom Post-COVID
Scouting’s local Michigan Crossroads Council saw an unprecedented increase in youth
membership in 2022, registering 9,648 new participants to end the year with over 27,000
members.
Though initially hindered in its operations by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Michigan Crossroads
Council, which spans the Lower Peninsula, was well positioned to bounce back, according to
Deputy CEO Gary Gilger.
“Families have spent more time together due to COVID, and so they are now seeking out
programs that can be done as a family,” Gilger said. “Further, Scouting provides youth with the
socialization lost during the pandemic, which is great for child development.”
Gilger said much of the growth has been observed in the Cub Scout program, which serves youth
in elementary school. The council ended 2022 with 1,739 more Cub Scouts than the year prior.
Gilger noted exceptional growth in Cub Scout units in Flint, Pontiac, Port Huron, Detroit and
Dearborn as a result of new outreach efforts to previously underserved communities.
“Building on this success in 2023, there will be a special emphasis on middle and high school-age youth to have growth in our older programs,” Gilger said.
Cubmaster Mikah Wisner of Pack 186 in Lake Orion watched his unit swell from a dozen youth members at the beginning of the year to over 50 participants on Dec. 31. According to Wisner, while it has been a challenge to manage such growth, he has enjoyed seeing so many families interested in participating.
“It’s such a refreshing experience to see the growth of youth and parents wanting to get back out
into nature and learn life skills,” Wisner said. “The parents are understanding how important Scouts can be.”
The Boy Scouts of America National Office announced 3% growth across its 253 local councils
on Jan. 6, or a third of the rate at which Scouting in Michigan is growing.
Picture 1: Interested families attend a Join Scouting Night at Oakside Academy in Waterford.
Picture 2: New Scout Nic Jeffreys poses with his first fish at D-A Scout Ranch in Metamora.
Picture 3: Scouts carry out a first aid drill at Camp Agawam in Lake Orion
Picture 4: Scouts with Waterford Pack 61 march in a holiday parade.
Picture 5: Waterford Pack 61 Scouts pose for a group photograph.
Picture 6: Scouts in Sterling Heights participate in the 2022 Scouting for Food Drive.
by orionontv | Nov 29, 2022 | Scouting
Brandon Kathman
Sr. District Executive
[email protected]
947-886-5736
Scouts’ Food Drive a Success in Oakland County
Hundreds of local Scouts helped make the 2022 Scouting for Food drive a success, with over
46,000 pounds of food collected for charities in Oakland County alone.
The drive, which is held between November and December across the state, is the Scouts’ largest
service project of the year. According to project coordinator Bob DeWar, over 100 local packs and
troops have taken part so far in 2022.
“While our drive has concluded in Oakland County, we still have food to collect elsewhere in
Michigan,” DeWar said. “With that said, local Scouts have given us a great start.”
Between Nov. 5 and Nov. 13, Scouts distributed special grocery bags to homes across Oakland
County, requesting that they be filled with nonperishable essentials and placed on doorsteps for
pickup. A week later, those same youth returned to collect on behalf of numerous nonprofits.
Much of the food went to drop sites facilitated by Gleaners Community Food Bank.
“Scouts who participate are walking away with a lesson, not just about the need for good deeds,
but also the rewarding feeling that comes with helping your neighbors,” Kevin Lauro, who
supervised a Gleaners drop site in Novi, said.
The Scouts hope to build on the success of the food drive in years to come. DeWar expressed a
hope that 2023 may see new collection sites and partnerships introduced.
“We’re so proud of all that our young people have accomplished so far this year,” DeWar said.
“As a parent, I was able to watch my own son and daughter participate, and that means the world
to me. As we watch each truckload of food arrive at the collection sites, we can also watch our
children learning valuable life lessons.”
The 2022 Scouting for Food initiative will officially conclude with a final collection in the
Thumb, which will occur in December. For more information about local Scouting, including
upcoming events and how to join a unit, visit michiganscouting.org.
by orionontv | Nov 15, 2022 | Scouting
Brandon Kathman
Sr. District Executive
[email protected]
947-886-5736
Scouts give back with “Great Shoe Shuffle”
Cub Scouts in the Farmington area have collected over 600 pairs of used shoes to support those in
need as part of a drive that will end with a charity run on Nov. 19.
According to the shoe drive’s coordinator, Rachael Ayotte, Scouts have been collecting footwear
since October. Local Pack 45, Pack 179, Pack 226, Pack 231, Pack 263, Pack 362 and Pack 389
all participated in the endeavor.
“This was a great opportunity for our local packs to work with each other and collaborate with
Farmington Public Schools,” Ayotte said. “I know that this success will lead to further
opportunities to bring Scouting to kids in the Farmington area.”
The Cub Scout Packs placed a shoe collection box at each of the nine Farmington Public Schools
elementary buildings. Scouts decorated the boxes and made announcements at school, calling for
donations of new or gently used shoes. The shoes were then collected, sorted and organized by
the Cub Scouts.
On Nov. 9, the Scouts invited those in need to the Maxfield Education Center for a pop-up shop,
where the full selection was available at no cost. Ayotte estimated that about 300 pairs were
“shuffled” to new owners locally. The Scouts delivered the remaining pairs to Soles 4 Souls and
Foster Closet. Any shoes not suitable for reuse were recycled.
“This event allowed Cub Scouts and their families to live out many tenets of the Scout Law,”
Ayotte said. “A Scout is thrifty – keep good shoes out of the landfill.”
The Scouts will gather one more time on Nov. 19 for a run to benefit Soles 4 Souls at East Middle
School, as an anonymous patron has pledged to donate funds for each lap they complete around
the track.
“This is what we love to see our Scouts doing for their communities,” Bob DeWar, a field director
with Scouting’s Michigan Crossroads Council, said. “Instilling a spirit of cheerful service in
young people is at the foundation of our mission.”
Lincoln Genslak, Clark Oliver, Sawyer Genslak, Rachael Ayotte, Ellis Mahoney and Henry Bristow
Eddie Carson, Clay Carson, Benjamin Mortlock and Sam Mortlock
Over 600 pairs of shoes wait to be claimed by new owners
by orionontv | Nov 1, 2022 | Scouting
Brandon Kathman
Sr. District Executive
[email protected]
947-886-5736
Scouting for Food returns to Oakland County
Scouts across Oakland County are getting ready for this year’s Scouting for Food event, a
nonperishable food drive set to begin during the first weekend of November.
The Scouting for Food initiative, which is carried out in partnership with Gleaners Community
Food Bank, utilizes thousands of Scouts across the region in collecting essentials. These are then
distributed through the Gleaners network of charities. During the 2021 drive, Scouts collected over
112,000 pounds of food, though local organizers feel confident that this year’s drive will exceed
that.
For Clarkston Troop 189, the drive represents a proud yearly tradition. Assistant Scoutmaster
Dennis Weaver explained that cheerful service is an essential element of the Scouting program,
and the project represents a great opportunity to encourage a spirit of volunteerism in younger
generations.
“I hope the Scouts will gain a better understanding of how easy it is to do something nice for
someone else,” Weaver said. “Our Oath calls for us to help other people at all times.”
According to project coordinator Bob DeWar, the Scouts will distribute special bags to homes
across the county on Nov. 5, requesting that residents leave donations on their doorsteps for
pickup in one week. Scouts will then revisit those houses on Nov. 12 to retrieve bags filled with
canned goods, cereal, pasta, peanut butter, juice and other items in high demand, DeWar said.
DeWar expressed high hopes for the drive in Scouting’s local districts, as units in Oakland County
are among the fastest growing in the state of Michigan. In north Oakland County’s Pontiac-Manito
District alone, as many as 300 newly registered Scouts may participate in the drive for the first
time.
“Our local districts have experienced unprecedented growth in the last two months,” DeWar said.
“With more active Scouts than we have had since before the pandemic, we believe this drive could
be our largest in many years.”
Additional information about the drive can be found at:
Scouting for Food
by orionontv | Aug 15, 2022 | Scouting
Brandon Kathman For Immediate Release:
Operations Marketing Lead 8/9/2022
(947) 886-5736
Scouting’s local Michigan Crossroads Council has announced it will provide free fishing poles for
all who join its programs between Sept. 1 and Oct. 31, a giveaway they believe will make new
youth feel even more welcome in the organization.
“The ‘Hooked on Scouting’ initiative will equip scouts for their first of many adventures in
Scouting,” Director of Field Service Aaron Craig said. “Fishing has always been a popular activity
at our camps, especially for our Cub Scout families.”
According to Craig, registrants will receive their pole once a membership application is received
and receipted. The Michigan Crossroads Council welcomes both boys and girls in its five
programs: Cub Scouts (ages 5-11), Scouts BSA (ages 11-18), Venturing (ages 14-21), Sea Scouts
(ages 14-21) and Exploring (ages 14-21).
The council has secured a supply of 6,000 Zebco rod and reel combos, though they anticipate
placing a second order to resupply before the initiative concludes. Scouting in Michigan already
experienced a surge in new membership during the spring, registering almost 2,000 new
participants by June 30.
“We are so excited to continue growing our movement this fall,” Craig said. “Scouting offers
unparalleled opportunities for young people as well as their families. Many organizations will take
children camping, but we empower them as the future leaders of this nation."
Much of the council’s growth is concentrated in its Cub Scout program, which serves elementary-
age children and is intended to develop foundations in leadership, citizenship, and personal fitness
through family activities. According to Craig, the fishing pole giveaway coincides with the
beginning of the Cub Scout program year, an opportune time for new youth to join.
Craig suggested that interested families seek out “Join Scouting Nights,” which are often
promoted through local elementary schools. Alternatively, information and contact information for
local units can be found at beascout.org.
; summer camp
