On My Honor Gala a success for local Scouting

Scouting’s annual On My Honor Gala at the Troy Marriott raised over $101,000 to support the local Michigan Crossroads Council, bringing community leaders together to invest in its programs for young people.

“The On My Honor Gala is really a community event,” Michael Jedinak of the National Eagle Scout Association said. “It’s one of the events where we’re really engaging the community, corporate sponsors and businesses. A lot of them have had ties to Scouting over the years, and they believe in the value of the Scouting program.”

Eagle Scout Brooke Muzzy, 18, delivered a keynote speech about her time with the Scouting program in Lake Orion. Muzzy was one of the founding members of Troop 185G, the first Scouts BSA troop for girls in the Pontiac-Manito District. Muzzy also served as a youth anchor for “Scouting on Air” a local television show about Scouting in Michigan.

“None of the great opportunities I have experienced would have been possible without the support of my Scout leaders, mentors, my parents and many of you who invested in my Scouting adventure,” Muzzy said during her speech. “You pushed me to earn rank, taught me to lead others and motivated me to climb mountains.”

According to Sr. Development Director Marilyn Costigan, the event also honors those who have earned the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. The award is given to Eagle Scouts who have served as celebrated leaders in their communities or vocations. This year, awards were presented to 77th Secretary of the Navy Kenneth Braithwaite along with Brigadier General Rolf Mammen of the Selfridge National Guard Base. Rick Snyder, Michigan’s 48th governor, also spoke at the banquet.

“It’s great to be here with the Boy Scouts tonight, because I am proud of what they do,” Snyder said at the event. “It’s an honor to share similar thoughts.”