The Rotary Club of Hattiesburg welcomes another new member! WELCOME Shirley Moore!
L-R: Denny Bubrig, Casey Norwood of Pine Burr Council, and Mark Killingsworth.
President-Elect Mark Killingsworth presided over today’s meeting. A.D. Hunt and Mark Killingsworth served as greeters. A.D. Hunt provided the invocation and Joe Meador led the club in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Michael McPhail introduced our visitor. William Sanderson is a guest of Cole Gressett. Michael then thanked those who helped with today’s meeting.
Mark then introduced Shirley Moore and inducted her as the club’s newest member. He thanked Bill McLeod for sponsoring her.
Shirley Moore is a shareholder with Burson Entrekin Orr Mitchell & Lacey, PA. Mrs. Moore is licensed in Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. Her practice includes all aspects of civil litigation, both state and federal, including representing clients in premises liability and medical negligence suits; bad faith insurance litigation; workers’ compensation law; labor and employment law; and appellate advocacy.
Shirley is married to Chess and has three children and attends Temple Baptist Church of Hattiesburg.
Denny Bubrig then introduced our guest speaker Casey Norwood. Casey has been involved with the Boy Scouts of America for over 20 years. Now, he is the new CEO and Scout executive of the Pine Burr Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, headquartered in Hattiesburg. He oversees Scout operations in 17 counties across the state.
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the nation’s largest and most prominent values-based youth development organizations, providing programs for young people that build character. First organized in 1927 with eight boys from Picayune, Mississippi, today's Pine Burr Area Council now serves thousands of youth across the 17 counties of south Mississippi.
In recent years, the Council has made a commitment to reach youth from all neighborhoods in the Council, officially launching the ScoutReach Initiative in 1998 to bring scouting to areas with large populations of minority youth.
Within the last four years under Casey’s leadership the Council has become the fastest growing council growing by 66%. Over 80% in 2015. They have served over 4600 youths since 2019 and outgrew the Jackson council.
The traditional Scouting divisions are Cub Scouting for ages 5 to 11 years, Scouts BSA for ages 11 to 18, Venturing for ages 14 through 21, and Sea Scouts for ages 14 through 21.
Eagle Scout is the highest rank one can receive in Scouts BSA. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than two million young men. Requirements include earning at least 21 merit badges and demonstrating Scout Spirit through the Scout Oath and Law, service, and leadership all before or by age 18.
After outgrowing Camp Towanda in Stone County around 1950, the council, through the help of Mr. L.O. Crosby of Picayune and Mr. Bill Blain Sr. of Mt. Olive, assembled 1,200 acres of land north of Wiggins and in 1955 opened Camp Tiak, which now offers 12 campsites, a 300-person dining hall, a health lodge, a shooting sports area, and an aquatics area.
To learn more about the Boy Scouts of America, visit their website at https://www.scouting.org or contact Casey Norwood at (601) 582-2326 or by email at casey.norwood@scouting.org
There being no further business to come before the club, Mark thanked today’s speaker and adjourned the meeting with your motto: “Service Above Self.”