Troop 209 was formed through the merger of three troops over the years. There was the original Troop 209, and then Troop 173, both based out of Selfridge and chartered by U.S. Army families from units garrisoned at the base. Troop 76 also merged into Troop 209, although there is little information available about Troop 76’s past or when that merger occurred.
Through our 50-year history and mergers, community service has remained a core part of Troop 209. Our troop participates in the Scouting for Food canned food drive every November and conducts remembrance activities like laying wreaths on the graves of veterans for Wreaths Across America, and cleaning headstones at Great Lakes National Cemetery. We also retire worn and tattered U.S. flags, and have adopted a plane that we clean and shine at the Selfridge Museum.
Our Eagle Scouts work on a community project in order to achieve the organization’s highest rank. Our Scout’s projects have helped local organizations, such as building kickball fields for TCB Youth Mentoring and improving the St. Peter’s Catholic Church community garden, and providing much needed entertainment game spaces at the YMCA. Other Scouts have gone across the state for their projects, such as building fire pits and benches at the Proud Lake Recreation Area in Commerce Township or building a lakefront observation deck for the Van Buren Youth Camp in Bloomingdale. Others work on conservation, building boardwalks to keep path walkers on the paths during flood season, or removing invasive species and providing a space for people to enjoy.