Sure, scouting offers plenty of activities for young people, including camping, hiking, swimming and more, but in addition to fun, leadership and other skills are developed that translate into the real world and into life. make a better place.

“I think Scouting offers so many things that are transferable,” local businessman Chad Tidd said Wednesday afternoon at a launch luncheon at the Cross Creek Country Club in Mount Airy for an annual local Friends of Scouting fundraising.

From sleeping under the stars to shooting the rapids in a kayak, Scouting provides adventures that teach valuable life lessons such as teamwork and perseverance, added Tidd, owner/ manager of Chick-fil-A in Mount Airy, one of two special speakers on Wednesday.

For him, scouting is more about a sense of adventure than anything else – specifically, leaving your comfort zone and engaging in challenging activities while helping a person grow.

“Real applications” abound with scouting, said Wednesday’s other speaker, Dr. Travis Reeves. Although he is best known as Superintendent of Surry County Schools, Reeves is also an avid outdoorsman and member of a Boy Scout family, of which he and his wife Leslie have long been leaders of the program.

Too many young people are elevating, Reeves said of how some are immersing themselves in hobbies such as video games.

Scouting is a way to bridge that gap by making “kids be kids” while going out, he explained.

Measurable growth results along the way, including through leadership activities that later pay dividends in business and other areas, according to Reeves, who cited his 13-year-old son Ridge as an example. .

Ridge is a Scout who has applied skills learned through Scouting – such as caring for the environment and working with others – into an act of public service.

“He organized a community cleanup in our neighborhood,” his father said, which involved planning, developing a safety checklist as well as assignments/route maps and giving instructions to participants. to achieve cooperation.

“He looked like he had grown three inches,” Reeves said of the impression he got watching Ridge lead the way en route to a successful campaign in which 54 bags of curbside trash road were collected in 2.5 hours.

Tidd said the same applications of scouting skills also happened at Chick-fil-A.

“Over the years I’ve employed many Scouts,” said the owner/manager, who explained that the main traits he looks for in a worker are hunger, humility and intelligence. These tend to go hand in hand with values ​​emphasized by Scouting such as self-awareness, resilience, courtesy and reliability.

Tidd mentioned Eagle Scout Jeremiah Campbell as someone he employed who embodied such qualities, who the Chick-fil-A manager said possessed quiet determination while being kind and self-aware.

“Not only of oneself, but also of their environment,” he said of these people. “Take others first.”

Although Tidd has said he’s engaged in a “glorified fast food” business with Chick-fil-A, such traits can be beneficial regardless of the chosen field.

Fund raising

The main purpose of Wednesday’s launch event was to draw attention to the need for funding to support the programs offered by the local Scouting District to ensure its continued work with young people in Surry County . It has withstood a number of financial and other effects during the pandemic.

“When we invest in the youth of our region, we are investing in our future,” Ann Vaughn, a veteran Scout supporter who chairs the annual fundraising campaign, told those gathered Wednesday afternoon.

“This organization means so much to so many people,” said Daron Atkins, chairman of the new Seven Rivers District, which includes Surry and surrounding counties. It operates under the Old Hickory Council of the BSA (formerly Boy Scouts of America), based in Winston-Salem.

This year’s fundraising goal for the district is $24,500.

“It costs the Old Hickory Council $200 to fund one Boy Scout a year,” Vaughn said.

The donation process may include the support of a scout, several of them and perhaps an eight-person patrol. “Or if the spirit moves you, a whole pack or troop,” Vaughn said of the Cub and Scout groups in the area.

Surry facility leased

In addition to opportunities within individual troops or packs, a traditional beneficiary of fundraising efforts is Camp Raven Knob, a 3,200-acre facility in the Lowgap area that last reported provided jobs for been to about 120 staff members,

“We are so lucky to have him in Surry County,” Atkins said of the camp, which offers activities such as swimming, hiking, abseiling, archery, boating boating/kayaking, nature study, marksmanship and more.

“It’s a Boy Scouts paradise,” said Dr Reeves as he passed the podium. “Leslie and I feel at peace when we’re at Camp Raven Knob and we think our scouts do too.”

“The magic of Raven Knob is the people,” said Chris Lawson, another Scout leader who spoke on Wednesday.

Citizens and local businesses can help the reconnaissance mission by sending checks payable to Old Hickory Council, BSA, 6600 Silas Creek Parkway, Winston-Salem, NC, 27106.

Atkins said local donations should be directed to programs in Surry County.

Vaughn and Atkins can also be reached, respectively, via [email protected] (336-374-9990) or [email protected] (336-401-3708).

“The money stays local,” Atkins said.

“It serves to help young people.”

Tom Joyce can be reached at 336-415-4693 or on Twitter @Me_Reporter.