Betty Kemp to be honored by Girl Scouts on May 8
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on March 27, 2008 1:50 PM
Longtime Girl Scout volunteer Betty Kemp will be named a Woman of Distinction by the N.C. Coastal Pines Girl Scouts during a recognition banquet May 8 at the Goldsboro Country Club.
Invitations are going out this week for the event. Local organizers say the council is honoring Mrs. Kemp for her service to Girl Scouting as well as to the community and the state.
Event committee chairman Scotty Weathers said Mrs. Kemp personifies the mission of Girl Scouting, which is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character.
"Betty Kemp is not only a person of distinction but also a woman of purpose who has gone above and beyond the call of duty," Ms. Weathers said. "She has set a tremendous example for all girls and women. Betty has a wonderful smile, a kind word, and a twinkle in her eye that she shares with all who meet her. The world is a better place because Betty Kemp has lived here."
She said the names of Betty Kemp and her husband, the late Bill Kemp, are synonymous with Girl Scouting and Boy Scouting.
Mrs. Kemp was a Girl Scout leader for her daughters' troops of her daughters while also supporting her son and husband's Boy Scout involvement.
In 1964-65, she was named president of the Girl Scout Council of Coastal Carolina, now a part of Coastal Pines.
The troops attended camporees, earned the highest achievement in Girl Scouting and traveled extensively, meeting many distinguished people. They traveled to Savannah, Washington, D.C., the Girl Scout World Center in Mexico and nine countries in Europe du ring a 10-week trip that included visits with the Pope and Lady Baden Powell, the wife of the founder of the Boy Scout movement.
In 2003, Mrs. Kemp and her husband started a program called World View, which allowed public school faculty to travel abroad and later expanded to include students. This year, more than 50 students from local high schools will travel to Italy because of the Kemp's vision and generosity.
Mrs. Kemp also was instrumental in forming the Wayne County Mental Health Association. She served as chairman of its board of directors from in the 1970s and served on the state Board of Mental Health. She also served on the board of directors of Foster Grandparents, a program of the WAGES agency, and was chairman of the United Way Fund Drive.
Mrs. Kemp has served on the board of the Wayne County Arts Council and has won awards for her artwork.
The deadline to RSVP the dinner is April 25. Tickets are $75 per person, and sponsorships are available.
For information call 800-478-7248.