Troop 180 has been a Quality Unit every year since the award was established and has also earned the Frank L. Weil National Jewish Committee on Scouting Unit Recognition Award and the Boy Scouts of America's International Youth Exchange Emblem.
Troop 180 has a very active Venture program
for older Scouts that was featured in the article
"Climbing the Cliffs at Kelso" in the October 1999, issue of Scouting magazine.
We are especially proud of Troop 180's record of International Scouting activities. Troop 180 has hosted Scouts and leaders from Australia, Denmark, Ghana, Japan, Slovakia, Trinidad & Tobago, the United Kingdom, and Zimbabwe. Troop 180 contingents have participated in three Connecticut International Camporees, and Troop/Crew 180 trips have taken our Scouts and leaders to Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, and the United Kingdom. From his experiences leading these overseas trips and serving as a troop leaders at World Jamborees in Norway, Australia, and The Netherlands, our Scoutmaster has developed Suggestions for Traveling Overseas with Boy Scouts which we hope other troops will use in planning trips overseas.
In order to make the international Scouting experience available to other Scouts and leaders in our Chief Okemos Council, Troop 180 leaders proposed that our council host the first ever Michigan International Camporee in the summer of 1997. After the proposal was approved, Troop 180 leaders served as Camporee Chairman and in other key positions in the planning and organizing of this week-long event, which was attended by Scouts and leaders from 19 different countries. You can read about the 1997 Michigan International Camporee in the article "Celebrating the Spirit", in the May/June, 1998, issue of Scouting magazine. Troop 180 leaders also served in key leadership positions in planning and running the Michigan International Camporee 2000 and the 2004 Michigan International Camporee.
Troop 180 is actively involved in orienteering and maintains a group membership in the Southern Michigan Orienteering Club. Our Scouts participate in several of the club's meets each year and have assisted as volunteers when the club has hosted national championship and intercollegiate championship meets.
Troop 180 has a strong Advancement record. 53 Troop 180 Scouts have earned the rank of Eagle Scout since the troop was founded in 1965, 45 of them since 1982.
Our troop is a boy-run troop. Troop elections are held every six months. The senior patrol leader is elected by the entire troop. Each patrol leader is elected by the members of his patrol. A Scout can serve a maximum of two six month terms in one position. The patrol leaders council meets monthly on a Sunday afternoon at the home of the Scoutmaster.
Troop 180 currently has about 22 Scouts divided into the Venture Patrol, the Lynx Patrol and the White Wolf Patrol. All of these groups would welcome new members and we invite any prospective member to visit one of our troop meetings.
You are welcome to look at the itineraries we followed on Troop 180 trips to Europe in 1989, 1994 and 1999 as well as summaries of our Crew 180 Caribbean trip in 2002 and Europe trip in 2003.
For more information about our troop and its program e-mail our Scoutmaster.
