On May 14 Oldcastle Materials’ North Division hosted an educational event for 61 Boy Scouts and over 30 adult leaders at the Stoneco of Michigan, Ottawa Lake Quarry.
For the second year in a row Stoneco of Michigan and The Shelly Company teamed up for an event that allows Boy Scouts to earn their Mining in Society Merit Badge. The Scouts earned their badges by learning the importance of mining within society and practicing personal and environmental safety.
Throughout the morning Scouts were taught the mining process, costs of materials, and how mining companies explore, plan, permit, mine and process minerals. The attendees were invited on a tour of the Ottawa Lake Limestone Quarry to provide a visual of the mining process.
In order for the Scouts to earn their badges, there were multiple interactive demonstrations. The demonstrations included a mapping exercise, quality control tests, and how both companies use drones to perform aerial surveys to measure stockpiles and mining faces. The Scouts also learned about construction aggregate materials that are needed to build roads and homes.
A troop leader stated, “The four boys that I brought to your merit badge class really enjoyed it and said on the way home that they previously had no clue what was all involved with mining. So keep up the good work and continue with this class for future scouts.”
