About Pack 712
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Cub Scout Pack 712 has been chartered and sponsored by the Silver Springs PTA since 1987. We currently have over 45 registered boys and girls in the pack from grades K through 5th grade. Although, membership is primarily from Silver Springs Elementary School, we welcome students from many other schools in the community. We are part of the Scouts of America, Michigan Crossroads Council—Great Lakes Field Service Unit, Ottawa District.
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Volunteering
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In order to keep Pack 712 vibrant, exciting and successful for our Scouts, we ask parents to volunteer their time and expertise to help coordinate one event during the calendar year. For those wishing to take a more active role in your scout's adventures, there are many leadership opportunities available for you to lend a hand. Find out more about how you can help here.
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Scouts of America Structure
Scouts of America breaks up the geographic area it serves into Districts and Councils. Districts are comprised of nearby cities, and Councils are formed from several Districts. The organization of the Michigan Crossroads Council (MCC) is unique within the Scouts of America and was created by the merger of nine separate councils in the lower peninsula of Michigan. It is a coordinating council that oversees properties, personnel, and program. The MCC is then split into four sub-councils or "Field Service Councils" which are then divided into districts.
- Great Lakes Field Service Council (Ours)
- President Gerald R. Ford Field Service Council
- Southern Shores Field Service Council
- Water & Woods Field Service Council
The current structure is a result of a drop in membership beginning in the early 2000s. The decision to merge councils, and resulting structure is meant to streamline scouting administration and make things more efficient, which should enhance the scouting experience for everyone. If you'd like to know more about everything the MCC does and offers, head over to www.michiganscouting.org.
Northville's place in the puzzle
Northville is part of the Mighty Ottawa District which includes Novi, South Lyon, Walled Lake, Farmington Hills, Huron Valley, and West Bloomfield schools.
Local Northville Packs
The Cub Scouts program is organized primarily by grade school. All six Northville public grade schools and two private grade schools are affiliated with a Pack which is usually administered through that grade school. They are as follows:
Chartering Organizations
Chartering organizations are the sponsors of scouts with respect to the Scouts of America. They are partners with the schools in putting on the scout program. Typically chartering organizations are non-profit organizations in one of these general categories:
Scouts BSA (formerly Boy Scouts)
Once your Scout crosses over into Scouts, BSA (early spring of 5th grade), he or she can join a Scout Troop. Scout BSA Troops are similar to Cub Scout Packs, but there are some distinct differences. While Cub Scouts is driven by adult leaders, Scouts BSA is designed to be led by its youth members and develop their leadership skills.
Additionally, both the Cub Scouts and the Scouts of America are co-ed. This infographic provides more details on how the new Scouts BSA structure operates.
In Northville, we're lucky to be surrounded by three great Troops: Scout Troops are more regional in nature and are not tied to one specific middle school/high school. To our Northville Troops, there are several others in Novi, Farmington and the surrounding school districts. There is no requirement for a Scout to join the nearest Troop or even one within Northville. Before crossing over, Cub Scouts should visit multiple troops to get a feel for where they fit in and have the most fun.
The Cub Scouts program is organized primarily by grade school. All six Northville public grade schools and two private grade schools are affiliated with a Pack which is usually administered through that grade school. They are as follows:
- Silver Springs--Pack 712
- Ridge Wood--Pack 720
- Moraine/Our Lady of Victory Catholic--Pack 721
- Thorton Creek--Pack 746
- Amerman--Pack 755
- Winchester--Pack 903
- St. Paul's Lutheran--Pack 201
Chartering Organizations
Chartering organizations are the sponsors of scouts with respect to the Scouts of America. They are partners with the schools in putting on the scout program. Typically chartering organizations are non-profit organizations in one of these general categories:
- churches
- civic organizations (VFW, Rotary, etc.)
- PTA organizations from the specific school
Scouts BSA (formerly Boy Scouts)
Once your Scout crosses over into Scouts, BSA (early spring of 5th grade), he or she can join a Scout Troop. Scout BSA Troops are similar to Cub Scout Packs, but there are some distinct differences. While Cub Scouts is driven by adult leaders, Scouts BSA is designed to be led by its youth members and develop their leadership skills.
Additionally, both the Cub Scouts and the Scouts of America are co-ed. This infographic provides more details on how the new Scouts BSA structure operates.
In Northville, we're lucky to be surrounded by three great Troops: Scout Troops are more regional in nature and are not tied to one specific middle school/high school. To our Northville Troops, there are several others in Novi, Farmington and the surrounding school districts. There is no requirement for a Scout to join the nearest Troop or even one within Northville. Before crossing over, Cub Scouts should visit multiple troops to get a feel for where they fit in and have the most fun.