Gerald R. Ford Council

The Gerald R. Ford Council is a local council of the Boy Scouts of America, serving Scouts in western Michigan.

History

The council was formed by the merger of Timber Trails Council and Grand Valley Council in 1975, and was known as West Michigan Shores Council until 1995. At that time, the Council was renamed after Gerald R. Ford, 38th President of the United States and an Eagle Scout from the Grand Rapids area.

Camp Shawondossee was the former camp of the Grand Valley Council, located on Duck Lake in Muskegon County in Whitehall. The land is now part of Duck Lake State Park.

Organization

• Five Rivers District
• Eagle Spirit District
• Pere Marquette District
• Lakeshore District

Gerber Scout Reservation

Gerber Scout Reservation, is a Boy Scout Summer Camp located at 1733 Owassippe Rd., Twin Lake, MI 49457, Blue Lake Township, Muskegon County, Michigan. The camp first opened in 1951 and is currently owned by the Gerald R. Ford Council. The approximately property containing Big Britton Lake, Little Britton Lake, and Mayo Lake was donated in part by the Gerber Products Company in 1951. The Gerber Scout Reservation is divided into three camps; one for Boy Scouts, one for Cub Scouts and a new camp for Venturing crews.

In recent years, Gerber Scout Reservation attendance (all camps) has swelled from 900 in 1997 to over 2,300 in 2009. Much of this increase can be attributed to the 1998 initiation of the Cub Scout and Webelos Adventureland, a section of...
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