Ronnie Butler was presented the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Service Award
From more than a thousand volunteers over 37 counties, the Middle Tennessee Council, Scouting America, selected Smith Countian, Ronnie Butler, Jr. as one of four recipients to receive the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Service Award. On October 8, over a hundred people gathered in the Grand Ballroom at the Cal Turner Family Center on the campus of Meharry Medical College for the catered service award dinner to recognize and honor four individuals that included Dr. John Bright Cage, Galon Greer, and Craig Salazar. Among the guests were philanthropist Cal Turner, Jr. and guest speaker, Clifton Harris, president and CEO of the Urban League of Middle Tennessee. CJ Lawson from Smith County Troop 367 Scouts BSA opened the proceedings by leading the Pledge of Allegiance, Scout Oath and Scout Law.
The Whitney M. Young, Jr. Service Award recognizes outstanding service and dedication from outstanding leaders who have demonstrated involvement and implementation of Scouting opportunities for youth from rural and low-income urban communities. Whitney M. Young, Jr. (1921-1971) was a notable civil rights leader and social worker who in 1969 received the nation’s highest civilian award, the Medal of Freedom. He transformed the National Urban League into a force for racial equality and economic opportunity.
Ronnie Butler Jr. did not become associated with Scouting until 2017 when his great nephew needed someone to take him to a Cub Scout roundup. Great Uncle Ronnie stepped up to take him . . . and continued to take him. The young Scout was eager to participate, but soon he became concerned that some of the activities might not even happen if there was not the mandatory safeguard of two-deep leadership, so Ronnie knew what he had to do. By March of 2018, he was wearing a full Scout uniform, had completed Youth Protection, Cubmaster, and BALOO (Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation) training and bought his first smartphone and his first tablet so he could better communicate with his Scout family.
After two and one-half years, the great nephew succumbed to his best friend’s pressure to join a sports team and he left Scouting. At last, Ronnie could quit. Now his Sundays would be free of Cub Scout meetings so he could resume gatherings with family and friends. Except he didn’t. He had found that the Scout Oath and Law aligned with the values he learned as a child: duty to God, country, others, and yourself. If he could help a young person adopt these values and have a better life, that is what he wanted to do. By that time, he was Cubmaster, committed to doing everything he could to see that all families had the opportunity to participate in Scouting, regardless of family circumstances. If they were unsure about the program, Ronnie knew how to talk to them; if they didn’t have transportation, he would take care of it; if they didn’t have extra money for uniform or activities, he would often provide assistance from his own finances and never mention it.
Rural areas like Smith County don’t have a large pool of eligible candidates for Cub Scouts but Ronnie has always been willing to go the extra mile to find and engage new Scouts and leaders. Sometimes that effort has caused him to lose a lot of sleep and even part of his livelihood. He owns a service that cleans commercial properties and most of his work is done after employees leave the establishment. For many years he has helped staff Day Camps; then he works his job at night. When Scouting events occupy his weekends, he must pay someone to cover his absence. After he attends the monthly Cumberland River District nighttime meetings at Cumberland University, he changes from his Scout uniform to work clothes to clean properties in Lebanon and sometimes gets home after midnight.
Today, Ronnie is still Cubmaster of Pack 367, now in its 68th year of being chartered by the Carthage United Methodist Church. While Scouts and leaders advance and move on to Troop 367 Scouts BSA, Ronnie provides continuity of the Cub Scouting program for incoming leaders.
“I still enjoy seeing the excitement when a child first goes to camp or sets foot inside a cave!” Ronnie shared. “I like to show a child how to carry and salute the flag or shake hands with a veteran. These are some of my favorite things. I’ve seen what Scouting can do for kids, how it helps them mature in a good way, how they learn to do for others and take care of themselves. I also believe families get along better when the whole family shares Scouting values.”
To discuss how your family may become involved with Scouting, call or text Ronnie at 615-489-7412. (Information provided by Vivian Reynolds, Scouting leader since 2002)
Celebrating with Ronnie Butler, Jr are (l-r): Sherrie Hughey, CJ Lawson, Jeremy Flynt, Evelyn Lawson, the honoree, Frances Butler, Vivian Reynolds, Scott Penfield, Keea Taylor, and Jeff Taylor. Not pictured: Tyler Neu.
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