Executive: Scouting thrives

Scouting nationally and regionally is alive and well, executives with the Georgia-Carolina Council for the Boy Scouts of America told Aiken Rotary Club members Monday.

The council, which includes Aiken, Barnwell, Edgefield and McCormick counties, serves 6,000 young people with 1,800 adult volunteers - all coordinated with a staff of eight, Scout executive Jeff Schwab said.

The presentation took place as the national and regional organizations were celebrating the Boy Scouts' 100th anniversary Monday.

"A young person who has been involved in Scouting for a minimum of five years is five times more likely to be an adult volunteer or a donor to charity," he said. "You are all engaged in civic service. We're proud that we've been around for 100 years."

If a young man enjoys Scouting and attends one meeting a weekend or one weekend outing a month, Schwab said, he will be exposed to 800 hours of programming.

"That's 800 hours of delivering values and leaving the world a better place," Schwab said. "It's 800 hours of ethical decision-making and leadership skills."

Also participating in the presentation were Yamasee District Executive Chap Shearouse and longtime volunteer and district chair Skipper Perry. Shearouse joined the organization in 2008.

Most people may not realize there are actually four programs within the organization.

"Cub Scouts for grades 1-5 have the most fun," he said. "They march in parades and emphasize that they do things that pull families together."

The Boy Scouts have high adventure, and members transition to leadership positions. The Scouts basically run the show with advice from troop leaders.

Venture Scouts and Explorer Scouts are for young men and women from age 14 to around 21. The Venture program offers less structured activities that are still based on the principles of Scouting. Explorer Scouts, as the name suggests, provides career exploration opportunities.

Shearouse is proud of the three-county region he serves, which had 18 percent membership growth in 2008 and 12 percent last year. He credits dedicated volunteers for helping provide that influx of young people.

He has been deeply moved by his association with North Augusta volunteers who established a Cub Scout pack within a housing project. They encountered struggles at first in working with boys who had few adult role models in their lives. Six months later, the pack staged a pinewood derby, a model car-racing program that's popular in Scouting.

The kids had worked hard and were so proud of their uniforms, Shearouse said. When one boy lost badly to another Scout in the first race, a sister of one of the kids taunted the losing boy.

"The other Scout turned to her and said, 'We're in a Scout meeting, and Scouts don't talk to each other like that.'"

For more information about the Georgia-Carolina Council, call (706) 733-5277 or reach Shearouse at cshearouse@gacacouncil.org.

Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.