Latest news with #EagleScouts
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
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. More: For 2 sisters, bringing their story to historic site has been winning Detroit B&B recipe '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. More: After a 'magical' journey, mother and son walked across a graduation stage with MBAs 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@ or follow him on Twitter @STalleyfreep. Read more of Scott's stories at 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
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
5 Tampa Eagle Scouts from same troop receive highest honor
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Five Tampa men, from the same troop, received the highest honor attainable as an Eagle Scout this week. The Eagle Award is a prestigious honor, highlighting the success, dedication and discipline of the members and their projects. Single mom waitress gets life-changing tip The recipients are all part of Troop #329, based at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Tampa. Each member had their Eagle Award Projects, which gave back to the community. Landen Lee: Held a school supply drive for the Gulf Coast Pades de Crianza, a program supporting Tampa Bay Latino families, providing resources to keep children safe with their loved ones. The drive helped more than 60 local families ahead of the 2024-25 school year. Nicolas Bush: Built a prayer garden for Mother Theresa Catholic School in Lutz Christopher Keating: Built custom pallets and storage for a food bank ministry at Matthew 25, St. Lawrence Catholic Church Jacob Sakre: Built a 'book nook' and hosted a book drive for RCMA Wimauma Academy, a nonprofit school that focuses on helping low-income and migrant children further their education Eaven Montalvo: Built a prayer garden for St. Lawrence Catholic Church Four of the five Eagle Scouts are seniors at Jesuit High School and have been friends since first grade. The fifth recipient, Montalvo, recently graduated from Tampa Bay Technical High School and attends Hillsborough Community College. 'Having five Scouts from the same troop achieve this incredible milestone in one year is unique and impressive,' Teresa Peterson, Director of Diocesan Information and Communications at the Diocese of St. Petersburg, said in a news release. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pete Hegseth senior adviser is pushing for Pentagon to cut ties with Scouting America
One of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's top advisers has recommended that the Defense Department cut ties with Scouting America, known for decades as the Boy Scouts, saying it is too 'woke' to support, according to multiple people familiar with the discussions. Tami Radabaugh, the deputy assistant to the secretary of defense for strategic engagement and a direct adviser to Hegseth, has been lobbying other senior officials to suspend the Pentagon's decades-old relationship with the group, including arguing that when Hegseth was a host on Fox News, he decried Scouting America as an organization that had "lost what they stand for," the people familiar said. It is not clear where Hegseth and the people around him stand on the issue. Though the Pentagon has not yet decided whether to cut off that relationship and whether it would be a total severing of ties or something more limited, such as Hegseth's not being involved, Radabaugh recommended that Hegseth not participate in a video for the group because of the concern, and he has not so far, according to the people familiar with the discussions. In a statement, Sean Parnell, the Pentagon's chief spokesman, said, "Secretary Hegseth and his Public Affairs team thoroughly review partnerships and engagements to ensure they align with the President's agenda and advance our mission." In May, when Boy Scouts of America announced it would officially change its name to Scouting America, Hegseth denounced the organization on Fox News, blaming 'the left' for supposedly wanting to destroy it. 'This is an institution the left didn't control. They didn't want to improve it. They wanted to destroy it or dilute it into something that stood for nothing. So, five years ago, the Boy Scouts let in girls, which was basically the end of Boy Scouts,' he said at the time. Hegseth said government gets more powerful when organizations and youth groups like the Boy Scouts lose what they stand for. 'This is a tragedy,' he said. 'Young kids won't have the opportunity to learn these skills, but more importantly, the values. And they did it to themselves.' The U.S. military has supported scouting for decades, according to Gordon Shattles, Scouting America's national director for corporate communications. That includes allowing the organization to hold all of its National Jamborees at Fort A.P. Hill, now known as Fort Walker, from 1981 until 2010, after which the event was moved to Bechtel Reserve, a new facility owned by Scouting America. Shattles said the group has 'a long and celebrated history of collaboration with the United States military' and added that the 'enduring relationship spans decades.' Scouts attend U.S. military academies every year, including more than 3,516 Eagle Scouts who have enrolled at the U.S. Military Academy West Point since 2003, according to statistics provided by Scouting America. About 20% of this year's graduating class at the U.S. Air Force Academy were in the Boy Scouts or the Girls Scouts, and about 10% of the cadets had earned the prestigious Eagle Scout Gold Award, for extraordinary contributions to their communities, according to Scouting America. Shattles said the military supports scouting every year by allowing its units to conduct meetings, campouts and other activities on bases, by having military color guards participate in scouting ceremonies and events, and by participating in or supporting national scouting events like the jamborees. He said many active-duty and retired military personnel serve as scout leaders and as merit badge counselors, particularly for badges related to outdoor skills, citizenship and emergency preparedness. Shattles also reinforced that Scouting America does not receive funding from the Defense Department or any other federal agency. The scouts have also helped with military recruiting, according to two defense officials. While U.S. Army Recruiting Command does not have an official affiliation with Scouting America, recruits who enlist with certain awards from scouting, like Eagle Scout Certificates or Girl Scout Gold Awards, can enter the Army with higher ranks upon enlistment, according to a spokesperson for the command. And U.S. Army Cadet Command 'conducts marketing and recruiting activities with Scouting America to educate Scouts and their parents on opportunities available in Army ROTC,' the spokesperson said in an email. The West Virginia National Guard has supported the Jamboree in recent years and is expected to provide a military band and colors for the next gathering in 2026 at Bechtel Reserve, according to a defense official and Scouting America. Chartered by Congress, the organization was known as Boy Scouts of America for more than 100 years until February, the month of its 115th anniversary, when the name officially became Scouting America. The name change is part of a larger effort to make the organization more inclusive that also included permitting girls to join. The organization had filed for bankruptcy protection in 2020 after it faced lawsuits from tens of thousands of sexual abuse survivors, which led to a nearly $2.5 billion trust to compensate victims. President Donald Trump spoke at the Jamboree on July 25, 2017, saying, 'You are the young people of character, integrity who will serve as leaders of our communities and uphold the sacred values of our nation.' 'The United States has no better citizens than its Boy Scouts,' he told the crowd, adding, 'The scouts believe in putting America first.' He also pointed out that 10 members of his Cabinet had been scouts. Radabaugh, who advises Hegseth on Defense Department engagement with outside groups, is a former producer at Fox News Channel and Fox Business Channel, according to her LinkedIn profile, including a stint at 'Fox & Friends,' the morning show whose weekend edition Hegseth co-hosted before he became defense secretary. This article was originally published on
NBC News
09-04-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Pete Hegseth senior adviser pushing for Pentagon to cut ties with Scouting America
One of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's top advisers has recommended that the Defense Department cut ties with Scouting America, known for decades as the Boy Scouts, saying it is too 'woke' to support, according to multiple people familiar with the discussions. Tami Radabaugh, the deputy assistant to the secretary of defense for strategic engagement and a direct adviser to Hegseth, has been lobbying other senior officials to suspend the Pentagon's decades-old relationship with the group, including arguing that when Hegseth was a host on Fox News, he decried Scouting America as an organization that had "lost what they stand for," the people familiar said. It is not clear where Hegseth and the people around him stand on the issue. Though the Pentagon has not yet decided whether to cut off that relationship and whether it would be a total severing of ties or something more limited, such as Hegseth's not being involved, Radabaugh recommended that Hegseth not participate in a video for the group because of the concern, and he has not so far, according to the people familiar with the discussions. In a statement, Sean Parnell, the Pentagon's chief spokesman, said, "Secretary Hegseth and his Public Affairs team thoroughly review partnerships and engagements to ensure they align with the President's agenda and advance our mission." In May, when Boy Scouts of America announced it would officially change its name to Scouting America, Hegseth denounced the organization on Fox News, blaming 'the left' for supposedly wanting to destroy it. 'This is an institution the left didn't control. They didn't want to improve it. They wanted to destroy it or dilute it into something that stood for nothing. So, five years ago, the Boy Scouts let in girls, which was basically the end of Boy Scouts,' he said at the time. Hegseth said government gets more powerful when organizations and youth groups like the Boy Scouts lose what they stand for. 'This is a tragedy,' he said. 'Young kids won't have the opportunity to learn these skills, but more importantly, the values. And they did it to themselves.' The U.S. military has supported scouting for decades, according to Gordon Shattles, Scouting America's national director for corporate communications. That includes allowing the organization to hold all of its National Jamborees at Fort A.P. Hill, now known as Fort Walker, from 1981 until 2010, after which the event was moved to Bechtel Reserve, a new facility owned by Scouting America. Shattles said the group has 'a long and celebrated history of collaboration with the United States military' and added that the 'enduring relationship spans decades.' Scouts attend U.S. military academies every year, including more than 3,516 Eagle Scouts who have enrolled at the U.S. Military Academy West Point since 2003, according to statistics provided by Scouting America. About 20% of this year's graduating class at the U.S. Air Force Academy were in the Boy Scouts or the Girls Scouts, and about 10% of the cadets had earned the prestigious Eagle Scout Gold Award, for extraordinary contributions to their communities, according to Scouting America. Shattles said the military supports scouting every year by allowing its units to conduct meetings, campouts and other activities on bases, by having military color guards participate in scouting ceremonies and events, and by participating in or supporting national scouting events like the jamborees. He said many active-duty and retired military personnel serve as scout leaders and as merit badge counselors, particularly for badges related to outdoor skills, citizenship and emergency preparedness. Shattles also reinforced that Scouting America does not receive funding from the Defense Department or any other federal agency. The scouts have also helped with military recruiting, according to two defense officials. While U.S. Army Recruiting Command does not have an official affiliation with Scouting America, recruits who enlist with certain awards from scouting, like Eagle Scout Certificates or Girl Scout Gold Awards, can enter the Army with higher ranks upon enlistment, according to a spokesperson for the command. And U.S. Army Cadet Command 'conducts marketing and recruiting activities with Scouting America to educate Scouts and their parents on opportunities available in Army ROTC,' the spokesperson said in an email. The West Virginia National Guard has supported the Jamboree in recent years and is expected to provide a military band and colors for the next gathering in 2026 at Bechtel Reserve, according to a defense official and Scouting America. Chartered by Congress, the organization was known as Boy Scouts of America for more than 100 years until February, the month of its 115th anniversary, when the name officially became Scouting America. The name change is part of a larger effort to make the organization more inclusive that also included permitting girls to join. The organization had filed for bankruptcy protection in 2020 after it faced lawsuits from tens of thousands of sexual abuse survivors, which led to a nearly $2.5 billion trust to compensate victims. President Donald Trump spoke at the Jamboree on July 25, 2017, saying, 'You are the young people of character, integrity who will serve as leaders of our communities and uphold the sacred values of our nation.' 'The United States has no better citizens than its Boy Scouts,' he told the crowd, adding, 'The scouts believe in putting America first.' He also pointed out that 10 members of his Cabinet had been scouts. Radabaugh, who advises Hegseth on Defense Department engagement with outside groups, is a former producer at Fox News Channel and Fox Business Channel, according to her LinkedIn profile, including a stint at 'Fox & Friends,' the morning show whose weekend edition Hegseth co-hosted before he became defense secretary.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
9th annual Onizuka Day of Exploration returns
HONOLULU (KHON2) — The 9th annual Onizuka Day of Exploration returns on April 5, offering a day of discovery and high-energy science activities. Wake Up 2Day's Chris Latronic went live from Nuuanu for a preview of the event with Blake Parsons, CEO and Scouting Executive for Scouting America and some of Hawaii's Eagle Scouts. How long do Hawaii residents have to react to a tsunami? The event will be held at the University of Hawaii's West Oahu campus from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will feature many STEM activities for participants to engage in. 'Scouts, non-scouts, if you just want to have an exciting experience, you want to see helicopters landing, you want to see Coast Guard, science technology, robotics, everything, there's over 100 booths that people can participate in,' Parsons explained. The event honors the legacy of Ellison Onizuka and encourages Hawaii's youth to reach for the stars when exploring the possibilities of Eagle Scouts gave a special preview of what can be expected at Saturday's event. First Class Patrol Leader Landon Vinales guided his troop to test their first aid skills, practicing their splinting skills for life-saving measures. Check out more news from around Hawaii The event and parking are free. More information and registration can be found on their website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
