17th Annual Eagle Club Recognition Breakfast supports scouting in the greater Meridian area
Published 2:42 pm Tuesday, December 31, 2024
- All Photo courtesy of Choctaw Area Council Scouting America Facebook page.
The Choctaw Area Council kick-offs its Friends of Scouting Campaign with its 17th Annual Eagle Club Recognition Breakfast on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
The yearly breakfast raises funds to support the Choctaw Area Council and help fund programs throughout the Council’s six-county jurisdiction around the greater Meridian area. The Eagle Club Recognition Breakfast is the Council’s single largest fundraiser of the year. The Friends of Scouting Campaign has a goal of $280,000 every year, and the breakfast is the leading event.
This year’s event will be held at the Faith Baptist Church located at 5050 Highway 19, in Meridian from 7:30-8:45 a.m. Doors open at 7 a.m.
Micheal Durant will be the keynote speaker for the event. Durant is a retired war hero and best-selling author. His real-life exploits are what inspired the book and film “Black Hawk Down.”
The Choctaw Area Council provides a variety of different scouting activities and programs. Some activities include rock-climbing, swimming, canoeing, training with bow and arrows, slingshots and camping at Camp Binachi. Programs start as young as five years old and go as far as 20 years old.
Choctaw Area Council workers with scouts and families at Camp Binachi.
The two programs for older youth focus on outdoor exploration and workforce development. The workforce development program gives youth the opportunity to work with the fire department, police, EMS and hospitals.
The outdoor exploration program teaches youth how to explore the outdoors in a safe and supervised environment. All programs and activities are focused on building positive character traits for the youth.
Boy scouts focus on raising the Mississippi state flag at Camp Binachi.
Choctaw Area Council Scout Executive and CEO James Hulgan, said the community’s support at the annual Eagle Club Breakfast helps ensure local scouts have access to quality programs and experts to teach them.
“The breakfast helps fund that. It helps make sure we have good programs. It helps us make sure that we have staff in the field. It helps us make sure that there are professionals in the field, who help grow scouting in the communities we serve. It helps us make sure the camp (Binachi) is maintained, so that it’s ready and open for anyone that wants to use that property,” he said.
The 17th Annual Eagle Club Breakfast is for those who would like to donate and support the Choctaw Area Council. There are a variety of donation packages, ranging from $250 and upwards of $5,000. Citizens can donate depending on what they are able to give and their needs. Hulgan said that the breakfast is open to the general public; however, due to limited seating and available food he asks that people RSVP by calling 601-693-6757 or emailing James.hulgan@scouting.org.
For more information, visit choctawareacouncil.org.
