Hometown Rankin - December 2015 & January 2016

Be a Scout
Susan O’Bryan
Scouting is about more than just
camping out and building camp fires.
It provides a sense of family,
teaches character, and truly
builds future leaders.
More than 140 Rankin County boys and
parents are learning the value of old and
new as they work to produce upstanding
young men. With the help of enthusiastic
leaders, parents and volunteers, the boys
of the Boy Scouts of America’s Pack 85
and Troop 85 are preparing for whatever
may come their way as adults.
It obviously appeals to the boys in 85,
a single number shared by the pack and
troop. 85, part of the Andrew Jackson
Council of the BSA, now is one of the
largest Scouting groups in Mississippi.
It has grown from 14 members in 2008
to more than 140 boys and teens today.
The national average size for a pack or
troop is 25.
“The growth is outstanding and quite
extraordinary,” said Tony Haines, CEO and
scout executive for the Andrew Jackson
Council. “Cubmaster Todd Bridges and
Scoutmaster John White have taken
scouting to a whole new level for the youth
in the Florence/Richland area. The kicker is
that they have accomplished this in an
area that is more rural than urban and where
the median income is below average.
I would say ‘phenomenal’ is a great word
to describe the program’s growth."
Haines said Bridges and White saw a need
for a quality youth program for boys in the
area, and they committed themselves to
achieving that goal. “And it wasn’t just a
flash in the pan for one or two years. They
have maintained a quality program, quality
leadership and excited youth for over five
years. Now that is commitment,” he
continued.
More than 38 adult leaders help Bridges
and White with Pack and Troop 85. The
pack is for boys in grades 1-5 and the troop
for fifth-graders through age 18.
“Nowadays boys don’t get out as much
because they’re glued to their video games.
There are more single moms with no men
in the home,” White said. “Boy Scouts is
the best organization for boys this age, bar
none. What they experience by way of the
program prepares them for life.”
Victory Congregational Methodist
Church, where Pack 85 meets, is proud of
their scout program. “It’s exciting for our
church and other people in the community
to see what the boys are doing,” said the
Rev. Chris Covington. “We’ve had several
Scout families become church members,
and then some of our church members
have joined the Scouts. It’s a circle where
we all benefit.”
When fifth-grader Bryce Henderson was
in the first grade, he told his mother that he
wanted to join Pack 85. “I always thought
of Boy Scouts as a father-son thing. As a
single mom, I didn’t think we’d fit in,” Kim
Henderson said. “Todd told me it was OK,
that the pack was family-oriented. He
wasn’t kidding. All the family is included,
whether it’s mom, brother or little sister.”
“We call ourselves the 85 family
because everyone does what they can.
Everybody takes ownership. Whether it’s
a campout or a meeting, parents are
involved,” said Bridges. “They do what they
can, whether it’s leading a hike, preparing
80 • December 2015/January 2016