Boy Scout council looking for new executive
By Bonnie Edwards
Published in News on January 15, 2006 2:08 AM
Tuscarora Council officials say they hope to have a new scout executive by March 1.
Former Boy Scout executive Bill Lappin left the council in December after a 21-year tenure serving the Wayne County region.
Tuscarora President Jim Daniels said Monday the typical tenure for a scout executive is about four years.
Coharie District executive Mark Yelverton said his area has been lucky.
In addition to Lappin's extended stay, his predecessor, Dick Auger, logged 17 years in the post.
"We've been very blessed to have Scout executives stay so many years," Yelverton said.
He transferred from Johnston County's Neusiok District to the Duplin-based Coharie District. Both are in the Tuscarora Council.
"Maybe we'll get someone who is family-oriented who wants to settle down and stay like the past two," he said.
Lappin ran a tight ship, and he did a really good job, Torhunta District Executive Ashley Dowling said.
"I look forward to seeing what happens," she said.
Lappin's new job takes him to Raleigh. Wake County is one of 12 counties in the Occoneechee Council. Lappin will serve as the new director of the Occoneechee Council's capital campaign and endowment fund -- a post Daniels said he is well-suited for.
"We went through an endowment campaign a couple years ago, and it went well," Daniels said. "We hate to see him go, but we're happy for him."
He added that Lappin managed the staff well, and that district executives who came up the ranks under his guidance have gone on to be strong leaders in their new councils.
The national Boy Scouts organization has a process for replacing scout executives and has sent staff to help Tuscarora handle the transition. Harry Bynum, human resources director for the southeastern region, has come from Georgia to assist. Area director John Morton also comes at least once a week from Raleigh to take over as the interim scout executive until a new one comes on board.
Daniels said the process has been fine-tuned over the years to provide the scout executives the opportunity for advancement every four years or so. If all goes well, he said, Tuscarora should have a new director in place March 1.
When a scout executive leaves, that council is given an option to merge.
Tuscarora has no intention of merging with another council, Daniels said.
"Tuscarora is a good council, with good volunteers and a good staff," he said. "Tuscarora has been named a Quality Council by national for seven of the past 10 years. We're doing very good independently."