Nathan Williams has had his hands full trying to encourage youth on the Northeastside to become Boy Scouts. He grew tired of watching young, African-American boys hanging out in the street without activities to occupy their time. As he sat on his porch in the Parkwood neighborhood, he asked himself, “What can I do?”
“I was a Boy Scout and I learned a lot about life,” said Williams, 56. “I wanted to take the kids and show them there is more to life than the neighborhood.”
The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is in line with Williams’ goals: prepare young people to make ethical choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law. Three years ago, Williams contacted the Boy Scouts and began a Scoutreach troop, Troop 123 that meets at Sanders Temple, Church of God in Christ, 3516 E. 39th St. Scoutreach offers traditional scouting programs such as Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts in non-traditional settings such as after school programs, in public housing, through special needs Scouts troops and in juvenile correction facilities.
“We’ve had challenges keeping the troop afloat,” said Williams, charter organizer of Troop 123. “We’ve had problems keeping volunteers, and getting parents to get involved. A lot of troops come out of churches and schools where there is more structure and they have more success because they have volunteer involvement. We haven’t had that.”
Those challenges will soon ease thanks to a community partnership announced this week with Crossroads of America Council, Boy Scouts of America and the Indianapolis Recorder. The partnership will expand awareness and participation in Scoutreach programs by both young people and adult volunteers.
The program, announced this week, is called It Takes a Village and includes new efforts to share the impact of Scouting and Scoutreach on young people in Central Indiana. Specifically, the Recorder will sponsor Troop 123. The sponsorship will include providing uniforms and one-on-one time with the troops among other initiatives.
“Now more than ever, the Recorder is working to meet the needs of our community,” said Shannon Williams, president and general manager of the Recorder. “By partnering with the Boy Scouts, we want to showcase solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing those we serve. Scouting benefits youth, adult volunteers and the community at large.”
More than 17,000 young people are served through Scoutreach programs. Over the past five years, the number of such programs has grown by more than 75 percent according to Boy Scouts of America.
Nathan Williams is thrilled by the partnership. Currently Troop 123 has 15 Scouts and learns a variety of skills including how to make knots, first aid safety as well as etiquette.
“Being involved in Boy Scouts allows them to step outside their neighborhood,” he said. “It shows them that things can be different, life can be better.”
For more information on Scouting, call (317) 813-7125. To learn more about Troop 123, call Nathan Williams at (317) 414-0940.
