By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — For those who know Jerry Moore, there could be no more deserving recipient of the Blue Ridge District Boy Scouts’ very first “Good Scouting Award.” The former Appalachian State University football head coach was recognized in an April 5 ceremony at the Deep Gap Fire Department.
The award was a primary feature of the organization’s Good Scouting Breakfast. The Blue Ridge District is part of the Boy Scouts’ Hickory Council. Bryan Bouboulis, the Blue Ridge District’s finance chairman, had the honor of making the presentation to Coach Moore.
“One of the first things I ever got excited about as a young kid growing up in Texas,” Moore shared with High Country Sports, “was scouting. I loved the outdoors and camping. As a Cub Scout, my Sunday School teacher was our scout Den Mother. As a Boy Scout, a local doctor was our Scoutmaster. The things they teach in Scouting are important life lessons.”
In one sense, Scouting also proved an early source of regret for Moore.
“I loved being a Boy Scout, but the things I was doing in athletics sometimes interfered. Of course I was playing football but I was also running the quarter mile in track and on the mile relay,” Moore recalled. “One of my greatest regrets is getting two badges short of being an Eagle Scout. I loved Scouting so much that when I got to Baylor, I contacted the Boy Scouts of America to see what I needed to do to achieve Eagle Scout. They told me I couldn’t. There was a hard and fast rule that you couldn’t be older than high school age, and no exceptions.”
Lee Setzer is the District executive, the paid professional with responsibilities over three counties (Ashe, Watauga and Wilkes) in western North Carolina.
“I oversee all sorts of coordination of volunteers in our scouting program,” Setzer explained to High Country Sports, “from recruiting volunteers, training, and fundraising to promotion and communications. Throughout the country and in each of our scouting districts and councils, we have these Good Scout Breakfast events. Part of the mission for these events is fundraising, but they are also an opportunity for us to recognize a local individual who represents the scouting values, whether they have been a Scout in the past or not.”
The “or not” does not apply to Jerry Moore, Setzer reported.
“This was the first Good Scout Breakfast for the Blue Ridge District, which is Watauga and Ashe counties. Jerry was a former Boy Scout in Texas, where he grew up. He got all the way to Life Scout, which is just short of being an Eagle Scout. There are a lot of boys who are Life for life.”
Setzer shared that the qualities looked for in a Good Scouting Award recipient is an individual who lives each and every day by the Boy Scout Oath and Scout Law.
The oath reads, “On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.”
The Scout Law includes 12 points:
- TRUSTWORTHY. Tell the truth and keep promises. People can depend on you.
- LOYAL. Show that you care about your family, friends, Scout leaders, school, and country.
- HELPFUL. Volunteer to help others without expecting a reward.
- FRIENDLY. Be a friend to everyone, even people who are very different from you.
- COURTEOUS. Be polite to everyone and always use good manners.
- KIND. Treat others as you want to be treated. Never harm or kill any living thing without good reason.
- OBEDIENT. Follow the rules of your family, school, and pack. Obey the laws of your community and country.
- CHEERFUL. Look for the bright side of life. Cheerfully do tasks that come your way. Try to help others be happy.
- THRIFTY. Work to pay your own way. Try not to be wasteful. Use time, food, supplies, and natural resources wisely.
- BRAVE. Face difficult situations even when you feel afraid. Do what you think is right despite what others might be doing or saying.
- CLEAN. Keep your body and mind fit. Help keep your home and community clean.
- REVERENT. Be reverent toward God. Be faithful in your religious duties. Respect the beliefs of others.
“Our recipients exemplify these characteristics in their community and often they are giving their time to support others more so than being worried about getting something in return for themselves,” said Setzer.
At the breakfast event, the Blue Ridge District hosted roughly 20 people, including community members and scouts. Scout member Thomas Lehman spoke about his Eagle Scout project, in trail restoration.
In Watauga County, there are three “troops” of Boy Scouts, Setzer reported. Troop 100 has six members, hosted at First Presbyterian Church on Deerfield Road. Others include a similar sized Troop 160, with seven boys, organized in Valle Crucis at the Holy Cross Episcopal Church, and the largest troop in the county, Troop 109, with roughly 40 members hosted by Boone United Methodist Church.
Moore addressed the gathering after accepting the award, sharing his own scouting experience as a young boy in Texas and emphasizing the values that the experience instilled in him.
