We’re longtime fans of Scouting. We were both Scouts growing up, and many of our best childhood memories are from that time. For Martin, Scouting was also a way to spend a lot of time with his dad, who was deeply involved in his troop. Some of their best memories, including Philmont, canoe trips, and countless campouts, were shared together. Martin’s dad was an Eagle Scout, and Martin earned his Eagle as well.
When our kids were young, we looked for something they could do together and that we could be part of as a family. At the time, though, it didn’t seem like Scouting would be that activity. Girls were not allowed to participate, and only straight adults were allowed to serve as leaders. It was disappointing to think something that had meant so much to us might not be available to our kids or to us as a family.
We were fortunate to be part of the Piedmont community, where the local council has long advocated for true inclusivity in Scouting. Over time, national policies changed, and during our kids’ childhoods, we watched Scouting become what we had hoped it could be, welcoming to all youth and all adults. When girls were allowed to join, just as our kids were reaching the age to start Scouting, we realized it could be something our whole family could be part of.
Kane was excited to join Troop 11 with his friends. Mimi was more hesitant, but after her first campout in Redwood National Park, she and we were convinced it was the right fit. It quickly brought our family, and many others, closer together. During COVID in particular, what started as a shared activity became a close-knit group of families who supported one another and each other’s kids.
As our kids became more involved, so did we. We’ve both served as Assistant Scoutmasters and supported the troop in different ways. Jim has served as the troop’s adult advisor for the Order of the Arrow. Martin helped pilot the Citizenship in Society merit badge nationally and has led Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Skills, the core training for adult leaders, for the past five years. Mimi and Kane have also taken on leadership roles, helping teach skills like knot-tying, fire building, and outdoor ethics to adult volunteers at those trainings.
Scouting has been a really positive experience for our kids. Both earned Eagle as freshmen, so at this point the kids both outrank Jim, who never quite made it that far. Kane especially loves camping and hiking, but both of them have gained practical skills like cooking, planning, and budgeting, along with confidence, leadership, and public speaking. Just as importantly, they’ve learned to mentor younger Scouts. Since her very first campout, when older Scouts made sure she felt included, Mimi has tried to do the same for others.
For us, Scouting is about more than activities or achievements. It’s about connection. It gave us the chance to spend real, uninterrupted time together doing things we all enjoy, including camping, hiking, and even launching rockets on the beach. Those are the moments that stay with you. It’s been just as meaningful to watch the other kids in the troop grow into confident, capable young adults, and to know we had a small part in that along the way.
By Martin and Jim Crawford-Jakubiak
Published in the Piedmont Post April 22, 2026