Scout Nation is a club that works to increase school spirit at LFHS through events in the school and at varsity athletic events. There are many members of the club who take many different roles. These roles include being a senior leader, or being on the communications, special events, or student engagement teams.
Many students have great experiences being involved in Scout Nation, and a large part of this is because of the Scout Nation sponsor, Julie Crouch.
Mrs. Crouch, as she is called by students, attended Lake Forest High School as a student and graduated in 1993. Now a teacher, Crouch took over leading Scout Nation in 2023, and her impact has been noticed by others. Teachers and students across the school believe that school spirit has increased in the last two years as a result of Crouch’s leadership.
Senior football player Joe Remus complemented Scout Nation’s improvement from his sophomore year before Crouch took over the club.
“When I was a sophomore the student section was quiet and was never really filled. Over the past two years almost every game is filled and it is full of energy. It definitely makes football more fun to be a part of,” Remus said.
Students who participate in Scout Nation appreciate how easy it is to work with Mrs. Crouch, and how she can help the students make Scout Nation the best it can be.
“She really listens to the students first on what our opinions are, while also voicing her opinion which results in really good collaboration and experiences,” senior leader Thomas Upfold said.
To increase school spirit, Mrs. Crouch’s ideas have led to new traditions in the student section at football games. These include the powder blasters after touchdowns, music during the third quarter, the banner when the players run out, and many other new traditions.
In addition, she has purchased outfits, materials, and more to make the student section a better experience. These include the gold and blue striped overalls that senior leaders wear, that will be passed down to the next senior leaders, year after year. Along with this, week after week she has provided fun outfits that correspond with that week’s theme including American flag capes, gold socks, personalized Scout Nation T-Shirts, and more.
Senior leader and President of Scout Nation Sara Drowne greatly appreciates all that Crouch has done for Scout Nation.
“For Scout Nation, I have worked very closely with her. Because of this, I know that she does a lot behind the scenes that most people probably aren’t aware of. She takes time out of her day, outside of school, to do special things that are not for her own personal benefit, but in the interest of all the students in the school,” Drowne said.
As the sponsor for Scout Nation, Crouch has taken a progressive approach, trying to make changes to the club and to school spirit at LFHS.
“Once I was in the position, I realized that this club needed a rebrand. We could be doing so much more to foster school spirit and this club could be the answer. Through the rebrand, we now have an elected board of student leaders that oversee the club, take ownership for its members, and create avenues to support all athletes at LFHS,” Crouch said.
Crouch isn’t done yet. She is still working to make Scout Nation better for all LFHS students.
“Our charge for the Winter and Spring seasons is to create a calendar of events that shows equal attention to all sports. We have a few big events coming up that will hopefully showcase what Scout Nation is really trying to achieve,” Crouch said.
The work of Crouch and the other Scout Nation members has led to a significant increase in school spirit over the last two years. Over the next few years, it will be exciting to see what more Crouch and Scout Nation will do.
