How Do You Use Your Scoutmaster`s Minute?

How Do You Use Your Scoutmaster’s Minute?
By Paul Farrell, Troop 113, Hackensack, NJ
According to the
BSA, “the Scoutmaster’s Minute
is brief in duration but one of
the most important parts of a
troop meeting.
Occurring at the
closing of the
meeting, it is the
thought that will
go home with the
boys. It is the
time to teach one
of the ideals of
Scouting. The Scoutmaster’s Minute is
a special time when you have the attention of all the boys in the troop, and
it is your opportunity to convey a special message of inspiration.”1
Scouting feels this is an important part
of its program, and a key responsibility
of unit leadership, but does it always
have to rest with the Scoutmaster?
What leaders do with this part of the
program can make a difference in how
Scouts grow in character, behave,
build respect for adults, mold their desire to model Scouting’s ideals, and
ignite or re-shape their faith in God.
Troop leaders probably take a wide
range of approaches to the Scoutmaster’s Minute. Some may deliver a parable and discuss the moral of a story
while others may recap a recent news
article that illustrates how failing to follow Scouting’s ideals may lead to dis-
aster or tragedy. Creative leaders may
use props or audiovisual aids to demonstrate a point or leave a lasting impression.
I also imagine that some leaders, not
for lack of interest or dedication, who
possibly lack inspiration or a giftedness in storytelling, may simply pull
pre-written topics from one of many
available Websites2 and other on-line
resource pages3.
In the context of a faith-based unit, do
unit leaders capitalize on the Scoutmaster’s Minute at the end of each
meeting as a springboard for a discussion about what Scouting’s ideals
really mean in the light of scriptures?
Do they share scriptures or ask Scouts
if they’re familiar with any Biblical characters or “stories” that illustrate concepts being discussed?
can be found in
Daniel, chapters
one through
three. These
young men were
probably almost
Scout age when
they stood up for
what they knew
was right. Their
loyalty and faith
were proven to
be the right
choice. Sometimes illustrating
the opposite of a
virtue can help define it, too. Examining betrayals in the Bible shows the
consequences of broken loyalty and
the need to safeguard and protect our
relationships. David’s betrayal of Uriah
in taking his wife ultimately led to a
variety of negative consequences, including civil war in the kingdom. Peter’s denial of Christ, and later his recommitment (John 21:15-17), show us
that there can be a way back from betrayal. Ultimately, I would ask Scouts,
“How does God demonstrate His loyalty (expressed as love) to us?” It
would be interesting to hear their answers and resulting discussion. Of
course there are many references in
scripture that could be used to highlight God’s loyalty to us despite our
total depravity separate from a relationship with Him by his grace
(Romans 5:8, 1 Pet 1:18-19; John
For instance, an examination of loyalty
Footnotes: (1) www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/SMMinute.pdf, (2) www.boyscouttrail.com/boy-scouts/boy-scout-minutes.asp,
(3) http://thescoutmasterminute.net (4) http://troop113.wordpress.com/2011/04/01/devotional-a-scout-is-brave.
(Continued on page 2)
Page 2
(Continued from page 1)
3:16-17; et.al.).
This same process of using a Scouting ideal (a point of the Scout Law, or
a short section of the Oath) and
walking from the secular/modern
definition to the faith-based examination can be a springboard to get
young people thinking about these
issues in a new light.
Finally, trust God with your Scoutmaster’s Minute. There have been times
when I wasn’t really prepared, but I
prayed all my way home from work
that God would deliver a message
that He had in mind. Net result? I’ve
been amazed at the engagement of
Scouts through drawn out and deep
conversations about concepts like
bravery and defending what you believe in despite the world’s attempts to
trivialize faith or be dismissive of ideals. Some discussions lasted nearly
40 minutes and were better than anything I had planned to discuss4. Remember, God desires the hearts of
these Scouts and we’re conduits for
His purposes (Proverbs 19:10). A
Scoutmaster’s Minute is your opportunity to give God an opening into a
Scout’s heart and mind.
If you have feedback on this article,
please join the free Linkedin discussion group where we can dialog
about making the most of Scoutmaster’s Minutes (go to www.linkedin.com
and search for Association of Baptists
for Scouting).
Five Tips for Giving a
Scoutmaster’s Minute
1.
Know your material — pick a
topic you’re interested in.
2.
Practice — rehearse out loud.
3.
Relax — pause, smile and count
to three before saying anything.
4.
Concentrate on the message —
focus attention away from your
anxiety and on your message.
5.
Succeed — Scouts want you to
do well, as you want them to.
ABS Today
President’s Challenge, Part II:
Do a Good Turn Daily
By A.J. Smith, President ABS
In the last issue of ABS Today I issued
a challenge to Baptists to do a better
job of utilizing Scouting as a means of
leadership development, both for
adult leaders and youth. In this issue I
would like to challenge churches that
charter Scouting units to be more
proactive with community service projects. Service projects should do several things. First and foremost they
should provide a needed service
within the community with no expectation of repayment. In short, they
should be “good turns” carried out in
a very intentional way. Secondly, it
should be known that these service
projects are being done by Scouts
and Scouters. And thirdly, it needs to
be clearly known that the Scouts and
Scouters are doing the service project
as a ministry of the church that charters the Scout unit.
Scouts, the Scouts themselves
should choose the projects, plan
them, and perform the work to carry
them out. Sometimes these opportunities may even serve to meet the
service project requirement for some
young man aspiring to become an
Eagle Scout.
Service projects teach Scouts the
importance of giving back to their
communities in tangible ways. They
help, in their own way, to build leadership skills in the young people involved, teach teamwork, and bring
positive name recognition to Scouting
and to the chartered organizations
involved with the units.
Such service projects, though, should
not be the sole responsibility of Scout
units. Scouts should work closely with
the church’s leaders, children, and
youth ministries in planning and carryLet’s take an example. A Cub pack
ing out service projects. Such a procould adopt a section of roadway to
ject should be a joint effort between
keep it clean. This requires careful
the chartered organization and the
planning with the local government.
Scouts. This will serve to bring Scout
They will be careful not to assign a
units and various other ministries of
high traffic road to a group of elemen- the church into closer ties with one
tary school aged boys and their par- another and foster a better relationents. But it will provide an opportunity
ship between the two. It will also bring
for Cub Scouts to do the following:
unchurched Scouts and Scouters into
 Get outdoors and be seen by their contact with people in the church,
neighbors
and serve as another contact bridge
 Provide a meaningful service to
between the two. In this way, all partheir community, and
ties benefit from the development and
 Provide recognition to the commu- execution of solid service projects.
nity through signage that a Cub
pack and their chartered organization did a Good Turn.
Many other opportunities abound in
every community. Venture Scouts and
Boy Scouts can help with more advanced service projects such as lawn
care for seniors, or working with Habitat for Humanity to provide lowincome housing to families in need
Webelos Scouts place 18,600+ flags on
within their community.
graves at Andersonville National Cemetery
With service projects involving older
(GA) for the park’s Memorial Day event.
Page 3
A Publication of the National Association of Baptists for Scouting
Homer “Smoky” M. Eggers, an Eagle Scout in Action
By Inez Eggers
Smoky Eggers authored two books:
Eagle Scouts in Action and Friends
Around the World. He also compiled
information and pictures for the book
Why Not Baptist? During his life of
achievement, he has certainly lived
up to the title of his first book.
and their families. He often found
needs beyond the physical in families
and sought to meet those needs
whether in helping someone find a
job, a recommendation of a church to
attend, a need for food, or whatever
the patient or family needed.
Since retiring from the Boy Scouts of
America in June of 1993, “Smoky”
has served as a volunteer Scouter in
several capacities. This included
leading God and Country classes for
Scouts and other youth at Plymouth
Park Baptist Church, and Special Activities Coordinator for Troop 183,
both in Irving, Texas. From 2001 until
2005 he helped his wife care for her
ailing mother in Greenville, South
Carolina, where he organized a Cub
Scout Pack, recruited leaders and
assisted in training them. Within one
year the Pack had tripled its membership and continues to be a strong
unit. Smoky acted as volunteer Endowment Director for 18 months in
2009-2010 for the Association of Baptists for Scouting, traveling and conducting over 100 training meetings in
14 states and raising funds for the
Endowment.
For the past 45 years he served as a
deacon in each church in which he
has been a member. He served as
Chairman of Deacons, on the hospital
As a member of the Irving Gideon
Camp for over 30 years, Smoky
served as Church Assignment Secretary for several years, during which
time the camp had the most church
services, and contributions for the
purchase of Bibles increased significantly. He continued to serve on the
church assignment task force during
the ensuing years and was honored
by local ministers and Gideons for his
contributions to the Gideon organization and churches of Irving, Texas.
For nearly 15 years he spoke at local
churches twice a month on behalf of
the Gideon organization.
Smoky served 17 years as a volunteer chaplain at Baylor Irving Hospital,
assisting emergency room patients
needed. Today they are a strong selfsupporting family and have acclimated beautifully to the American
way of life. One of their children is
now a medical doctor.
Smoky makes weekly visits to at least
three local fast food establishments
to visit employees with the permission
and encouragement of managers. He
has bought meals for homeless people and provided help in finding jobs
for family members of employees,
among other helpful acts. At least two
of the businesses have named him
their chaplain.
In addition, he consistently encourages youth wherever he goes to be
and do their best, praising them for
any accomplishments they have
made and recognizing any positive
efforts on their part.
visitation committee, and the door-todoor visitation committee in an effort
to visit every home in Irving and any
other way he was called upon.
As Chairman of the Missions Committee at his church, he arranged for
the sponsorship of a Vietnamese
refugee family and assumed the responsibility of securing a place for
them to live. He had it furnished and
the pantry stocked before their arrival;
personally took family members for
medical check-ups and helped them
get Green Cards. He also ensured
that each person had adequate clothing, assisted in getting the children
enrolled in school, and continued
frequent follow-up visits with them to
assist or provide help in any way
Smoky entered Scouts as a Lone
Scout because there were no troops
in his hometown. When his family
moved, he was able to join a Scout
Troop. He served as temporary
Scoutmaster of his Troop in Elizabethton, Tennessee, when their
Scoutmaster went into the Armed
Services during World War II. Smoky
earned his Eagle Scout Award, 82
merit badges and 9 palms. He is also
a recipient of the God and Country
Award. In July 2004 he was honored
with a Distinguished Eagle Recognition during summer camp at Camp
Old Indian in Greenville, South Carolina.
Recently he spent 33 days in the hospital recovering from pneumonia. He
was physically weak and vulnerable
to infections following chemo treatments for lymphoma when his white
cell count fell to zero for about 10
days. He is now home and making
progress each day toward recovery,
and looking forward to a time when
he can resume many of the activities
he enjoys.
Page 4
ABS Today
Research Illustrates Impact of Eagle Scouts on Nation
One hundred years after Arthur Eldred
of New York earned this nation’s first
Eagle Scout Award, new, independent
research demonstrates the significant,
positive impact Eagle Scouts have on
society every day. Since it was first
awarded in 1912, more than 2 million
young men have achieved the Boy
Scouts of America’s highest rank. The
study conducted by Baylor University,
Merit Beyond the Badge, found that
Eagle Scouts are more likely than men
who have never been in Scouting to:
bases in the major leagues. And while
we’re proud to claim some truly great
men in American history among our
ranks, we’re even more proud that
everyday Eagle Scouts become wonderful husbands, fathers, and citizens,” said Bob Mazzuca, Chief Scout
 Have higher levels of planning and
preparation skills, be goal-oriented,
and network with others
 Be in a leadership position at their
place of employment or local community
measure the lifelong effects of being
in the Scouting program, and more
specifically, of attaining the rank of
Eagle Scout.
“Our study measured if achieving the
rank of Eagle provides an advantage
and benefits throughout a Scout’s
life,” said Dr. Byron Johnson, lead
researcher, Baylor University. “We
found that the effort and commitment
required to earn this rank produces
positive attributes that benefit not only
these men in their personal and professional lives, but also benefits their
communities and the country through
the service and leadership they provide.”
The Eagle Scout badge has become
widely recognized as a mark of distinction both within and outside of
 Report having closer relationships
Executive of the Boy Scouts of Amer- Scouting. Once earned, it is worn for
with family and friends
life. About four percent of Boy Scouts
ica. “This research validates for the
 Volunteer for religious and nonreliworld something we’ve known about earn the Eagle Scout rank. To do so,
gious organizations
Scouts must demonstrate their underEagle Scouts for years. They lead.
 Donate money to charitable groups
standing of leadership, service, charThey vote. They donate. They volun Work with others to improve their
teer. They work hard and achieve their acter, personal fitness, and outdoor
neighborhoods
skills at multiple levels.
goals. In short, Eagle Scouts are ex“Eagle Scouts have made their marks ceptional men.”
Pease visit the following Website
throughout history—from walking on
Baylor University’s Program for Proso- www.scouting.org/About/Research/Ea
the moon and working behind the
gleScouts.aspx, to review the Eagle
cial Behavior received a grant from
desk in the Oval Office to running the the John Templeton Foundation to
Scout research.
Chaplain’s Corner
By Sam Houston
Walking with Jesus
such brief contact be A glorious, helpful minister.
So it was, while they conversed and
Jesus walked with many a willing perreasoned, that Jesus Himself drew
near and went with them. (Luke 24:15) son on the road. He still walks with the
willing, though they may be tired and
Walking is almost a lost art, but there hungry souls. We must walk with Him
are wonderful fellowships that can be and know His plan for our lives.
formed while walking with a companion. As you do, think of the following Father, I ask that ABS will walk in obedience. I pray that our words will emwords from novelist Susan Coolidge
power us to live righteous lives reflect(1835–1905):
ing Your greatness and grace. May
As we meet and touch,
each of us in ABS walk with Jesus
each day, The many traveleach day.
ers on our way, Let every
Scouting Fact
With nearly 70 percent of all Scouting
units chartered to local faith-based
organizations and, with the vast majority of them having only one type of
unit (troop, pack, crew, etc.), the
growth potential is enormous. In addition, there are literally hundreds of
thousands of local congregations affiliated with some of BSA’s largest
faith-based chartered organizations,
but which have no Scouting units. Do
you have room in your congregation
to help Scouting grow?
A Publication of the National Association of Baptists for Scouting
Page 5
Remembering Frank Eugene “Gene” Bobo, Jr.
Award, and the Ralph Cleveland Distinguished Citizen Award.
Gene was born in Gray Court, South
Carolina, July 21, 1917, and was the
oldest son of Frank Eugene and Mittie
Lou Todd Bobo. He graduated from
Clemson University with dual degrees
in Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, and a Commission in the U.S.
Army. After graduation he accepted a
management position with Gaybourn
Frank Eugene (Gene) Bobo, Jr., forMills in Gainesville, Georgia, where he
merly of Charlotte, North Carolina,
rose to the position of plant manager.
passed away at the age of 94
With the onset of World War II he was
Wednesday, April 4, 2012, at Northcalled to active duty in 1942. Initially
east Georgia Medical Center.
assigned to the Chemical Warfare
Gene was a member of First Baptist
Service, he was selected for ComChurch of Gainesville, and First Bap- mand and General Staff School at Fort
tist Church of Charlotte. He served
Leavenworth, Kansas. As a captain in
both churches as chairman of the
the U.S. Army, he served in the SouthBoard of Deacons. Gene's true avoca- western Pacific in the 38th Infantry
tion, however, was his affiliation with
Division. He participated in the invathe Boy Scouts of America. After arriv- sions of Luzon, the Bataan Peninsula
ing in Gainesville following graduation to Corregidor, and other islands surfrom Clemson University in 1938, he
rounding the Philippines. His division
was approached to lead Troop 26 of
was in Manila preparing for an assault
Gainesville First Baptist Church as
on Japan when the war ended.
Scoutmaster. He accepted, and this
Gene spent his professional life in the
led to his lifelong love and devotion to textile industry. Both in Gainesville,
Scouting. Gene became a successful
Georgia, and Charlotte, North Caroand beloved Scoutmaster. At one
lina, Gene was recognized and repoint his Troop produced 10 Eagle
warded with numerous honors for his
Scouts in one year. Because of his
knowledge, leadership skills, and
faithful service to Scouting, he was
commitment to excellence. His busirecognized by many awards including
ness career was spent with Chadinduction into the Order of the Arrow,
bourn Hosiery Company in Gainesville
Scouters Key, Good Shepherd Award, and Charlotte. Mr. Bobo and colSilver Beaver Distinguished Service
leagues Bill Leath, Robert M. MatAward, James E. West Foundation
thews and Claude Bagwell were jointly
Award, Ernest Thompson Seton
responsible for the invention and development of stretch nylon hosiery.
They obtained at least seven U.S. Patents between 1955 and 1963 for
Chadbourn Hosiery. Gene served as
president of Chadbourn Industries up
to the time of his retirement in 1978.
Later he joined with Peter J. Mallen to
found a new textile venture, Mallen
Industries, Inc. in Norcross, Georgia.
He truly enjoyed his affiliation with
Peter, as well as traveling the Southeast to maintain relationships throughout the hosiery industry. He continued
to work actively each day up to age
91. Gene served as chairman of the
National Association of Hosiery Manufacturers, and was president of the
NC Foundation for Support of Commerce and Industry. In 1972 he was
an organizing director of Republic
Bank & Trust Company of Charlotte
(later SunTrust), and from 1974 to
1985 he served as a Northeast Georgia Director of SunTrust Bank. As a
member of the North Charlotte Rotary
Club he was recognized as Rotary
Man of the Year in Mecklenburg
County.
Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church - Our Faith Our Future
Fund, 751 Green Street, Gainesville,
GA 30506; or Northeast Georgia
Council Boy Scouts of America, Endowment Fund, PO Box 399, Jefferson, GA 30549.
To hear in his own words how Gene
would like to be remembered, view
this video http://vimeo.com/39861465.
White-Water Rafting Open to All at 2013 Jamboree
Despite what you may have heard, anyone who is old
enough to go to the jamboree is old enough to go whitewater rafting at the jamboree. The New River, in the heart
of West Virginia, is pretty perfect for everyone of all abilities, and all people of jamboree age.
their activities, there’s a chance they’ll get white-water rafting if they pick it, but
there’s also a chance
they won’t. So, if your
Scouts really want to
experience white-water
The One Catch: The New River is really big, but it can only
rafting at the jamboree,
hold so many Scouts. That’s just a fact of nature that can’t
get them registered now.
be avoided. What it means is that, when participants pick
Page 6
ABS Today
Boy Scouts of America Launches Initiative to Attract
Latino Youngsters into its Programs
In an era of instant text messages,
eye-popping video games and constant soccer practice, can an outfit
touting the merits of woodcraft, civic
virtue and campfire sing-alongs attract today’s seen-it-all kid? Specifically, a Latino kid who might be wrestling with questions of how and
where to fit in?
The Boy Scouts of America is trying
to find out. On the heels of its 100th
anniversary — and in the face of
daunting membership declines —
the organization launched a campaign to recruit Latino youth.
“The challenge we have is that
there’s very little understanding of
what Scouting is about in the Hispanic community, at least in the firstand second-generation families,”
said Marcos Nava, who heads the
BSA’s Hispanic Initiatives.
— especially on the heels of its 1991 Adolescence is tough to navigate
ban on openly gay people serving as anywhere. But some Latino youth,
troop leaders.
especially ones living in neighborWith Latinos the fastest-growing seg- hoods with a gang presence or who
are recent immigrants, face special
ment of the nation’s population, rechallenges.
cruiting from that pool helps ensure
Scouting’s survival. The Denver Area So Sergio Ruelas is cause for optiCouncil, with 465 Boy Scout troops, mism. At 14, he has belonged to
is one of 37 mostly urban councils
Denver’s Troop 215 for three years.
across the United States in the pilot
“A friend told me about it, and I went
program. About 130,000 of the nato a meeting,” Sergio said. “I liked it.”
tion’s 906,000 Boy Scouts have HisHe and his parents moved here from
panic surnames, Nava said.
Guadalajara, Mexico, when he was 9.
“Our goal is to have 200,000 HisThey live in the Ruby Hill neighborpanic Scouts by the end of the year,” hood. Spanish is the household lanNava said. “It’s a very aggressive
guage. Sergio has taken to Scouting.
goal, but I think we’ve put together a He holds the Star rank, two steps
marketing program that’s tremenbelow Eagle. The things this city kid
dous.”
likes most: camping and hiking.
“Scouting teaches a value system,”
Cabeza said. “The call of Scouting to
“The main problem they [Scouting]
young people is to come have this
face is the image,” said Walker
“We know if we can get kids into
great adventure and enjoy the outMcDonald of 4 Aspects, a group that doors. But while they’re having fun,
Scouting, they’re more likely to
works with schools and at-risk youth we’re teaching them values parents
graduate from high school, stay out
to discourage truancy and gang ac- want them to have. “It’s a positive
of trouble and succeed in life,” said
tivity. “A young kid wearing a uniform gang instead of a negative gang.”
John Cabeza, Denver Area Council
chief executive where a pilot program on the streets could face harassment, especially if he doesn’t have
Staying Relevant
has begun.
older siblings.”
This isn’t the first time Scouting has
Reaching more boys is crucial for
For
the
initiative
to
succeed,
it’s
critiresponded to shifting demographics.
Scouting today. In the past decade,
cal
that
Scouting
partners
with
existIn the mid-’70s, it reached out to inthe number of Scouts overall, from
ing
neighborhood
programs,
McDonner-city youth. The early 1980s saw
fledgling Tiger Cubs to the most exald
said.
Churches
and
community
programs that recruited recent
perienced Venturers, has declined by
groups
are
important
for
selling
Southeast Asian immigrants.
about 17 percent to 2.8 million. More
Scouting
to
kids
and
their
parents,
troubling, the number of Tigers, Cubs
Staying relevant has been a recurring
some of whom do not speak English. challenge for the Boy Scouts of
and Webelos, important Boy Scout
feeder programs, is down nearly 24
“Not every child will connect with
America.“Our basic strategy is to
percent, according to the BSA.
Scouting, but we need to give them
reach the parents,” Cabeza said.
the
opportunity,”
said
Bob
Mazzuca,
“The parents, specifically the moms,
There is an element of self- preservaBSA’s
CEO.
“Scouting
makes
famioften make the decision on what
tion in the initiative. Scouting has
lies
stronger,
and
family
is
foremost
young people get involved in.”
been politicized in recent years, dogin
the
Hispanic
community.”
ged by inclusiveness controversies
Tackling Image Issues
A Publication of the National Association of Baptists for Scouting
Young Scout Wants to Share his
Faith and Love for Jesus
Fellow ABS members, we wanted to share with you a letter we recently received from a young Scout. Stanley wrote to request our assistance in helping
him to show his love of God and his pride in being a Baptist. And yes, he will
be receiving an ABS patch and lapel pin, which have been mailed to his
Council for a special presentation.
Page 7
2012 Spanish Wood
Badge Course
The Boy Scouts of America, along
with the team leadership of National
executive board member Jose Niño
invite you to the first-ever Spanish
Wood Badge Course at the Philmont
Training Center in Cimarron, New
Mexico, to be held in conjunction
with our friends from Scouts de Mexico. Certain segments of this course
will also be conducted in English.
This history-making course will take
place at Philmont Training Center in
beautiful Cimarron, New Mexico from
July 29 - August 4, 2012. The registration fee for this course is $400
(excluding transportation).
For more information, please contact
Oscar Santoyo in the Program Impact Dept. at 972-580-2488 or via email at oscar.santoyo@scouting.org.
Help Staff ABS Exhibit
at 2013 Jamboree
John 3:16 — For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only
Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Webelos Humor
A group of Boy Scouts took some 4th- and 5th-grade Cub Scouts hiking. Suddenly,
a great gust of wind ripped across the prairie and knocked the Boy Scouts to the
ground. But, the Cubs just swayed in the wind and continued hiking. When the
wind quieted down, the Boy Scouts stood up, brushed off the dirt, and started hiking again. A bit later, one Scout looked up just in time to see an even bigger gust of
wind buffeting through the trail. The strong winds knocked all of the Boy Scouts
every which way, but the Cubs just rocked back and forth as they were buffeted.
When the Boy Scouts got back up and brushed the dirt from their uniforms, they
walked over to the Cubs and the SPL asked, “Why do us Boy Scouts keep getting
knocked over by the wind but you 4th and 5th grade Cub Scouts keep standing?”
The Cub Scouts laughed and replied, “Webelos wobble, but we don’t fall down.”
Here is your opportunity to be a part
of Scouting history. We have four
openings left for staff positions in the
very first ABS booth at The Summit in
West Virginia. This puts you on the
front lines for having an opportunity
to help change the lives of Scouts
and Scouters. The 2013 Jamboree
will be held July 15-24.
If you are interested in one of these
positions, please contact Joe Yoke
for additional information by e-mail at
joeveyke72@sbcglobal.net or phone
at 501-922-9315 (home) or 501-9842148 (mobile). Remember, there are
only four openings so apply now.
For more information about the 2013
Jamboree, visit The Summit Website
at https://summit.scouting.org or
watch the staff overview video
http://youtu.be/hsDXAwf6w6o.
ABS Today
c/o Merri C. Addison
665 Lee Road 212
Phenix City, AL 36870-8475
Membership & Endowment
Share the news of ABS with fellow Baptist Scouters and
church members by encouraging them to become
members. Applications are available on our Website.
Checks for endowment and membership may be mailed
to: BSA National Office, Attention: Community Alliances;
PO Box 152079; Irving, TX 75015-2079.
A Publication of the National Association of Baptists for Scouting
New BSA Online Tour and Activity
Plan is Now Available for Use
On May 1, the old Tour Plan application was discontinued. It has been
replaced with a new Tour and Activity Plan. With the new one active, all
tour plans that were not acted upon
have ceased to exist. Volunteers
must resubmit their trips via the new
Tour and Activity Plan application.
Cub Scouts from Pack 100, Westford, MA,
listen to instructions from a Sergeant Major
before heading out on activities during an
outing to Camp Fogarty in Greenwich, RI.
This applies to tour permits that
were not completed by April 27.
A similar communication was posted
for volunteers on MyScouting, but
we encourage you to share this information with all unit leaders.
For more information, you can view
the Tour and Activity Plan training
video on You Tube at http://
youtu.be/nHtiwQABy-I and visit the
Tour and Activity Plan FAQ page at
www.scouting.org/sitecore/content/
Home/HealthandSafety/
DemoTourPlanFAQ.aspx. A prerecorded Tour and Activity Plan conference call hosted by the Health
and Safety Team is also available
online at www.scouting.org/
scoutsource/HealthandSafety/
DemoTourPlanPhone.aspx.
Page 8
2012 ABS Officers
 President: A.J. Smith
 Executive VP: Bob Swan Sr.
 Secretary/Newsletter:
Merri C. Addison




VP Membership: Bobby Boykin
Treasurer: Ed Brown
Chaplain: Sam Houston
Webmaster/God & Country:
Michael Grissom
 Endowment: Chip Turner and
Charles Holmes
 Regional Vice Presidents:
 Northeast: George Alexander
galexander@baptistscouters.org
 Central: David Eslick
djeslick@undata.com
 Southern: Kent Gaylon
galyon@baptistscouters.org
 Western: Jim Julian
jimeddimarie@sbcglobal.net