Justin Williams Selected as next Palmetto Council Scout Executive

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The Palmetto Council Board of Directors is pleased to announce Justin Williams as our new Scout Executive/CEO. Justin comes to us from Great Lakes Council where he most recently served as the Director of Field Service. He has 17 years of experience as a professional Scouter. Justin will begin his duties with the Palmetto Council on October 1, 2019. Please join us in welcoming Justin and his family to our Palmetto Council Scouting family!

More about Justin:

Justin Williams began his Scouting career as District Executive at North Florida Council in Jacksonville, FL. He moved on to become a Senior District Executive and later Development Director with Northern Star Council, St. Paul, MN. He was promoted to Field Director with the Bay-Lakes Council, Appleton, WI and on to Director of Field Service of Great Lakes Field Service Council, Detroit, MI. He joined the Palmetto Council as Scout Executive in October 2019.

A native of Western North Carolina, Justin earned his Eagle Scout award in Troop 182 in Morganton, North Carolina and served on summer camp staff as a youth for seven years in North Carolina and Vermont. He has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and a Master’s degree from Florida State University.

Justin enjoys traveling, history, and cheering for the North Carolina Tar Heels. In May 2018, he and his wife, Holly, became the proud parents of a daughter, Faye.


The Adventure Continues, A Message to LDS Scouts and Scouters from Matthew Cline

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When I think of Scouting, I think of my trip to the Northern Tier Canoe Base when I was a Varsity Scout. We canoed and backpacked through the wilderness of Canada with no sign of civilization except for an occasional plane flying overhead. We were truly on our own. We prepared for this trip over many months. It was difficult. It pushed me to my limits, physically and mentally. We even had the weather working against us. But it was one of the most rewarding and memorable experiences I have had. Bald eagles flying overhead, swimming in a waterfall, sacrament meeting at our campsite, the building of teamwork needed to get through this challenging trip, and the sense of accomplishment when we returned home. We saw and experienced things we never would have if we had stayed in the comfort of our homes. It was an adventure; one of many I have had in Scouting.

As scouting in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints comes to a close at the end of this year, what will your next adventure be? Some will choose to continue their adventure, some will not. For Scouts that continue, new friends and familiar faces await you. Pinewood derbies, summer camp, backpacking, scuba diving, campfires, welding, building robots, competitions, patches, leadership positions, the Order of the Arrow, and many other opportunities await those that choose to seek the adventure of scouting. Looking for a greater challenge? Venturing crews seek the ultimate outdoor adventure. Love to sail? We have a Sea Scout ship for you.

My experiences in Scouting have strengthened my testimony of how much we have in common with other faiths in our desire to do our duty to God. I find that I grow spiritually from the examples and spiritual messages from people of other faiths at scouting activities. To me, the principles found in the Scout Oath, Law, motto, and slogan reinforce the gospel principles I learn at church and at home, and vice versa. The last and most important point of the Scout Law is that a Scout is reverent. A scout’s most important duty is to God.

If you choose Scouting, new friends will be waiting for you to help you on your new journey. You will have guides along the trail to help you choose your adventure. We look forward to seeing you on the trail.

The Palmetto Council is ready to help you continue your journey. Please contact us our membership coordinator, Mr. Taylor Thomas, at Taylor.Thomas@scouting.org to learn more about continuing your adventure! To also assist in the transition, we have created a Facebook page to relay information (Palmetto Council Latter-day Saint Scouting). Please like our page.

With Warm Regard,

Matthew Cline
LDS Transition Chair

“…Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.” (Robert Frost)

Palmetto Council Greeting Cards available for purchase to support Scouting programs for the SC School for the Deaf & Blind

During a Scout meeting this year, the Scouts of Pack and Troop 9539 created a piece of artwork using their hands with the help of Kris Neely at Spartanburg Methodist College. Inspired by their art, we created a greeting card with their artwork as the front cover and their story as the back cover. For $12, you receive 5 greeting cards and envelopes and our gratitude for supporting their Scouting program. “May we never miss an opportunity to use our hands to impact our youth.”

Charlianne Nestlen Selected to Direct Family Scouting & Strategic Partnership

The Palmetto Council is proud to announce the newest addition to the Palmetto Council staff, Charlianne Nestlen. After the success of Family Scouting in the fall of 2018, the Palmetto Council Board chose to add a Director of Family Scouting to help support the new growth in membership. We are very excited to welcome Charlianne to our staff as we continue to grow this amazing program across the Upstate of South Carolina!

Charlianne is a life-long native of Spartanburg and graduated from USC Upstate where she was initiated as a Delta Zeta and received her B.A. in Communications- Journalism.

She joins us from the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce where she served as the Director of Resource Development.

She is a 2015 Leadership Spartanburg Graduate and an active member of several professional organizations, including Spartanburg Young Professionals where she recently served as past chair, the Leadership Spartanburg Alumni Association Board, Economic Visionaries Committee for Spartanburg Community College Foundation, Bring Light Dance Ministry and St. Paul the Apostle Catholic School PTO.

Charlianne became involved in scouting through her son, Wyatt, who is currently a Tiger and her husband, Homer, who is a den leader. They reside in Chesnee and look forward to enjoying family scouting together.

Please join us in welcoming Charlianne Nestlen!

MLK Day Hours

The Palmetto Council Service Center will be CLOSED on Monday, January 21st in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The Palmetto Scout Shop will be operating on normal hours (9AM - 6PM).

NESA Chapter honors 2018 Eagle Class

The Palmetto Council NESA Committee honored the 133 Eagle Scouts in the Eagle Class of 2018 on January 5, 2019. The 133 Eagles represent 44 units and their projects combined for over 18,000 service hours. Distinguished Eagle Scout Dwight Neese was the featured speaker. Two scholarships were presented from the Robert “Bob” Justice NESA Scholarship Fund. The Schaefer family announced the creation of the Norman F. Schaefer Outstanding Eagle Scout Project Scholarship and presented the inaugural scholarship to Jared C. of Troop 275. The NESA committee also awarded three NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Awards to Doug Bartlett, Scott Phillips and Ron Smith for their continued service to our community as an Eagle Scout. Congratulations, Palmetto Eagles!