Eagle sightings are a norm for this unique Detroit troop with a rich tradition of service
During the 1950s, one Detroit church provided a space for Paul Robeson to sing and heard lectures from W.E.B. DuBois during a time when the two, multitalented activists were labeled 'un-American' by some for the uncompromising stances they took against inequalities in America.
The same Detroit church, through its ministries, led civil and equal rights efforts to organize Ford Motor Co.'s United Automobile Workers.
This place of worship, which has addressed community needs and humanitarian concerns on a local, national and global level for more than 100 years, is Hartford Memorial Baptist Church.
Throughout much of its history, Hartford, too, has had a relationship with an organization that also has a long track record for service and good deeds — the Boy Scouts of America. The partnership comes to life through Boy Scout Troop 647, based at Hartford since 1939. But true to Hartford's history, this troop has been about more than just camping and merit badges. In its quest to develop scouts that exemplify "exceptional leadership, character and service," historically, members of Troop 647 have been heavily involved in community service projects that directly benefit Detroit neighborhoods.
And, like the church it calls home, Troop 647 has been involved in fellowship that has been global in nature, such as the cultural knowledge and life skills that have been acquired with the help of the Hartford Memorial Baptist Church African Ministry Rites of Passage Program, which has provided troop members with transformative experiences in Senegal and Penyem Village in The Gambia.
Troop 647 also knows a thing or two about the highest rank attainable in scouting — Eagle Scout. In fact, the troop has produced 65 Eagle Scouts during its rich history and the eight most recent Eagle Scouts from Troop 647 were scheduled to be honored during a Court of Honor Ceremony on Saturday, May 17, at Hartford Memorial Baptist Church. In doing so, the honorees will join a distinguished group that only a very small percentage of Boy Scouts will ever reach.
Despite the enormity of their accomplishments, on the evening of May 13, as the eight most recent Eagle Scouts from Troop 647 had an opportunity to reflect on their journeys, they offered up stories that often showed that their pride in their troop and city was one and the same.
'I just wanted to flat out quit," Jackson Chukwuemeka Azu confessed as he described some of the more difficult points of his journey to becoming an Eagle Scout, which included navigating the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. But Azu did not quit. And one of the beneficiaries of Azu's perseverance was the Southfield Kappa Foundation, which received a much needed supply shelf constructed by Azu as a service project while the foundation was in the midst of renovating its house. 'The whole (scouting) process showed me I could do something I didn't think I could do. I can get through everything," added Azu, who is now a student at Morehouse College studying sports journalism.
Like Azu, Cameron Wade Cornelious constructed a service project that had a lasting impact when he led an effort to build and spray paint planter boxes made out of old shipping pallets for the science department at his former Detroit high school — The School at Marygrove. And in the process, Cornelious took a giant step forward in becoming the leader he desires to be.
"My goal is to be that leader for the next generation," stated Cameron, who now attends the University of Michigan. "So, I think the most important part of my scouting journey is that I went from the mentee to mentor."
As a scout, Jordan Allen Dunn has enjoyed many adventures, including summer camps at D-Bar-A and Cole Canoe Base. The Eagle Scout admits that the first time he went door-to-door collecting canned goods to help feed people in need the experience did not produce the same excitement as camp. But then something changed.
"As I matured, I realized how helpful and how important it was to collect food and give it back to the community," said the Western Michigan University student, who was inducted into the Order of the Arrow, scouting's national honor society.
Jalen Allen Dunn, Jordan's twin and also a student at Western Michigan, says he, too, got the service bug through scouting.
'It's a long journey and I'm happy I stuck with it,' Jalen Allen Dunn said. 'Volunteering is something I embrace now. I'm not afraid of the call of service.'
Joseph Williams is currently pursuing a degree in biomedical sciences at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, but he never forgets important people that helped him in Detroit.
'Scouting has taught me how important a community is in helping a young man develop,' said Williams, who led the design and construction of bat houses for D-Town Farm during his Eagle Scout project. 'The adults that work with our troop, and our entire community, hold us accountable. And that accountability helped me to stick with scouting.'
Kaiden Troy Ellis returned to scouting in the sixth grade when he joined Troop 647 because he said he felt right at home. Ellis has shown his gratitude by giving back to the Detroit community. This includes his Eagle Scout project, when he collaborated with volunteers at the Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Association in Detroit to provide horsemanship education to youths, while preserving the legacy of African Americans in the military.
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'Scouting helped me with volunteer work — it changed my mindset,' Ellis stated. 'It has made me more motivated to give back to my community.'
'Being a part of such an historic church opened a lot of doors,' explained Maissa Slaughter, a proud former member of the Detroit Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School swimming team and current University of Michigan student, who used his church connections to get more involved in community service. Slaughter's service included an Eagle Scout project where he led the creation and donation of 100 handmade face masks for the Phoenix Center in Detroit.
Torrence Griffin also selected an arduous but rewarding Eagle Scout Project when he rebuilt a dilapidated stage at D-Town Farm in Detroit — with help from other Troop 647 members — which allowed for continued seasonal activity and a greater connection with the surrounding community.
'Nothing comes easy,' said Griffin, who recently completed Drone Pilot Certification Training with CODE 313 in Detroit. 'The Eagle Scout journey requires a lot of energy and a lot of hard work. But when you get it all done, it's a great feeling."
A commitment to develop scouts that exemplify 'exceptional leadership, character and service'
Who: Boy Scout Troop 647 established in 1939
Troop Home: Hartford Memorial Baptist Church, 18700 James Couzens Fwy, Detroit 48235
Troop Leader: Omari Sankofa
Recent Event: Court of Honor Ceremony (Saturday, May 16, 2 p.m. at Hartford Memorial Baptist Church) honoring Troop 647's most recent Eagle Scouts — Jackson Chukwuemeka Azu, Cameron Wade Cornelious, Jalen Allen Dunn, Jordan Allen Dunn, Kaiden Troy Ellis, Torrence Griffin, Maissa Slaughter, Joseph Williams. The ceremony will also honor nine dedicated volunteers that have supported Boy Scout Troop 647 and Cub Scout Troop 647 — Corlis Brown-Lloyd, Eileene Gordon-King, LaMont Hampton, Harold Holmes, Kent Jackson, Isaiah Joe Lapsley, Omari Sankofa, Richard Stringer, Vickie Walls Slaughter.
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Scott Talley is a native Detroiter, a proud product of Detroit Public Schools and a lifelong lover of Detroit culture in its diverse forms. In his second tour with the Free Press, which he grew up reading as a child, he is excited and humbled to cover the city's neighborhoods and the many interesting people who define its various communities. Contact him at stalley@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @STalleyfreep. Read more of Scott's stories at www.freep.com/mosaic/detroit-is/. Please help us grow great community-focused journalism by becoming a subscriber.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: This unique Boy Scout troop reflects the city of Detroit and much more
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