On April 16, 1997, as council president, I was privileged to take part in the dedication of the new 17,000 square foot council service center. President Gerald Ford was the keynote speaker. We also formally dedicated the new council name in his honor.

The DeVos Family Center for Scouting is located along Interstate 96 just outside of Grand Rapids, Mi.

In front of the DeVos Family Center for Scouting is a bronze statue of 16 year old Eagle Scout Gerald R Ford of Grand Rapids. The life-size statue faces South-East, toward Washington, D.C. where Eagle Scout Jerry Ford would spend a great deal of his life as the Congressman from Michigan's 5th District and as the 38th President of the United States. He is the only Eagle Scout to become President of the U.S.

President Ford & I
Discuss details of the dedication and some council history prior to the dedication ceremony

As chairman of the Garfield Roundup Task Force for the  National Cub Scout Committee of the Boy Scouts of America, it was necessary that I fraternize with our new "spokescat".  Garfield is a great personality once you get to know him off stage.

The Gerald R Ford Council operates Camp Gerber in Northern Muskegon County. Our mascot is the camp moose.