Dedication

When people think of Scouting some common words come to their mind. Words like Trustworthy, Loyal, and Helpful or the Scout Law. Ask someone involved with Scouting and they may respond with words like Leadership, Community and Service. Scouting is so much more than just these words and associations. Scouting it is about values, morals, leadership and dedication to the community. These are the time honored traditions that are needed in today’s society more than ever.


Scouting builds the youth and the future leaders of our nation. There are several leaders who were involved in Scouting. Most people know that former President Gerald R. Ford, movie director Steven Spielberg and former Astronaut James Lovell Jr. were Eagle Scouts. Scouting is not just about the Eagle Scouts though, Scouting has provided an organization in which many leaders are still strong promoters of like; world class athlete, E. Archie Manning III; National Leader Donald Rumsfeld; Drayton McLane Jr. a Business Leader and Sports Executive; H. Ross Perot, Zig Ziglar and Lawrence P. “Yogi” Berra. One would almost think that scouting was a requirement to be employed by NASA. Of the 312 pilots and scientists selected as astronauts since 1959, at least 207 have been identified as having been Scouts or active in Scouting. The list includes 39 Eagle Scouts, 25 Life Scouts, 14 Star Scouts, 26 First Class Scouts, 17 Second Class Scouts, 13 Tenderfoot Scouts, 3 Explorers, 25 Cub Scouts, 10 Webelos Scouts, 1 King’s Scout, 2 Wolf Scouts, and 32 with unknown ranks, including 27 who were Girl Scouts.Of the 27 men to travel to the moon on the Apollo 9 through Apollo 17 missions, 24 were Scouts, including 11 of the 12 men who physically walked on the moon's surface, and all three members of the crew of Apollo 13.


You do not have to be an Eagle Scout to leave your impression in this organization and community. Ask any one that was involved in scouting as a youth, they could probably tell you about their Scoutmaster or at least one person involved with their troop that had left a lasting impression.  Ask a scouter who were the ”founders” of Scouting and you will hear stories about Daniel Beard, William Boyce, Robert Baden-Powell, Ernest Thompson Seton and James West. Though these are the key figures in the development of the scouting organization, there are several thousands of volunteers that played key roles in the units, districts, councils, regions and national levels. These are the volunteers who helped to start the local Councils and Troops across the nation.


I would like to recognize and dedicate this blog to those unnamed and unsung pioneers who brought the Boy and Girls Scouts of America values and experience to the boys and girls of our nation and the world. If it was not for their time, knowledge, experience, ambition and dedication to help the youth, Scouting would not be as strong as it is today. These volunteers, past and current, represent the true values of scouting.


One of these individuals was my Great-Grandfather, Michael Joseph Anuta, who lived a life that many will never forget. He was a man who experienced over a century of change, a dedicated family man, community volunteer and has managed to leave footprints many aspire to follow. The stories he would share and the knowledge he possessed would surprise most people now, however it was the lifestyle of his generation. Born in 1901, twelve years after his parents immigrated here from East Prussia, he saw many changes in the world. He lived through many wars, watched as technology was developed and later expanded to what we have now. He “dropped out” of school at a young age and went on to becoming a farm hand, attorney, judge, pilot, telegrapher, railroad man, an industrial traffic manager, HAM radio operator, church leader, civic leader, author, Mason, genealogist and historian (not necessarily in that order). He got most of his education through trade schools and vocational schools before completing his law degree in 1929. Michael Joseph has a list of accolades, both professional and personal, that is too long to list but shows how much he truly cared about the family and his community.


Michael Joseph has left a legacy in many areas, but one that I am particularly fond of is his impact on the Boy Scouts of America. As the Boy Scouts of America celebrates their centennial anniversary, I have been reflecting on this Centurion who was affected by this organization and who assisted this growth in a region that, at that time, gave new meaning to “back-woods country.” Here is to a man whose Scouting career has not only impacted his family, but has also impacted the future generations of Scouters.


Thank you to my family, for helping me put these thoughts together and recording some of the history of our extended family. Uncle Karl and Uncle Michael, inspirations to Scouts and a wealth of knowledge to share; Cousins, Uncles and Aunts, thank you for compiling your history to share for this book. To my parents, words cannot express the gratitude for the support throughout Scouting and my life. Your involvement as I was growing, though frustrating at times, has set a foundation for me to build upon. To see you involved even when your children are out of the house and your grandchildren are now involved is an inspiration for us.


Thank you to the Boy Scout Organization for everything it has done and for what it provided to the youth for the last 100 years and for many years to come. Thank you to my Scoutmaster, Norm Ross, Assistant Scoutmaster James Young (Eagle Scout), my first SPL John Snyder (Eagle Scout), you were there when I needed it and were models of the Scouting Organization. To all the Eagles of Troop 54, Ottawa District, Clinton Valley Council who set the examples, blazed the path and made the scouting experience possible for the youth of Novi, Michigan, thank you. Most importantly, thank you to all the volunteers who dedicate their time to continue the traditions of scouting for future generations.

________________________________________________________________