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GREENSBORO – A new Cub Scout Pack is budding in Greensboro, and it is thanks to the efforts of longtime Scout Leader Wayne “Archie” Cawley, who aims to strengthen Scouting opportunities for families across Caroline County.
Cawley, now 77, has spent decades in Scouting as a Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, and even an official employee of what is now Scouting America. Today, he serves as Scoutmaster of a boys’ troop sponsored by Calvary Baptist Church in Denton. His push to start a Cub Pack in Greensboro is being supported by Cawley’s home church, Greensboro Baptist. “I’m blessed by the best,” Cawley said.
Cawley describes Cub Scouts as the “farm team” for older Scout Troops; a place where children in kindergarten through fifth grade get their start before moving into the middle and high school programs. This is just one of the reasons he wants to see Cub Scouts in Greensboro. “Our Boy Scout Troop, we don’t have a feeder Pack,” he said. There are Packs in Denton, Preston, and Ridgely, but there hasn’t been one in Greensboro for some time.
More than bolstering his own Scout Troop, Cawley said he wants to bring back the days of widespread participation in Scouting and protect the spaces where decades of Mid-Shore Scouts have made memories. “My ultimate goal is not just to help kids and families,” Cawley said, “but to help everybody by keeping the camps open.”
The campus he is referring to is Camp Henson in Dorchester County. According to Cawley, low participation in Scouting since the COVID-19 pandemic threatens the ability of the regional Blue Crab District and larger Del-Mar-Va Council to keep places like Camp Henson open. “When I was Cubmaster… we had over 100 boys, just boys, in the Cub Pack at the Methodist Church here at Denton. Now… I think they’re lucky to have 10 or 15,” he said. Since then, Scouting America has expanded to allow girls in both Cub Packs and Scout Troops.
“The overall goal in Scouting America is to teach citizenship, character, and fitness,” Cawley said, “Scouting is actually an educational program, but we don’t tell the kids that because that really turns them off fast. So you try to make it fun.” He explained that he is a big advocate for getting kids outdoors to learn-by-doing.
But creating a Cub Pack requires potential Cubs – of which Cawley currently has none. He said that in recent times, the number of adults who sign on to help have outweighed the actual recruits. One of the reasons for this that Cawley points to is heightened participation in sports, and kids and families generally being “busier” than in the past. But he hopes to spread the word about this new opportunity for Scouting to as many will listen, particularly to Spanish-speaking residents on the northern end of the county. “I’ve had Hispanic youth in my Scouts…I can speak Spanish,” Cawley said.
Just some of the folks who are supporting Cawley in creating Pack 3775 are Cody Weidman, an Eagle Scout ranked graduate of Cawley’s Troop, locals Melinda and Samantha Warfield, David Robinson, and Tim Walters, Pastor Kevin Randolph of Greensboro Baptist Church, Miguel Pajon, who speaks Spanish and is assisting with outreach, David Robinson with Scouting America, and Principal of Greensboro Elementary School, AJ Angeloni. Scout Troops have also stepped up to help recruit new Cubs, including Ridgely’s Pack 264, Troop 1091 of Easton, and Troops 77 and 165 in Denton.
Cawley stressed that getting as many youth involved as possible doesn’t just help the kids, it supports entire families, especially those who have limited knowledge or resources for getting their youngsters outdoors. On that note, he emphasized that Cub Scouts has financial aid available to those who cannot meet the registration fee.
To officially charter a new Pack, Cawley said that Scouting America requires at least five youth and five adults, including a Cubmaster, Den Leader, and Committee members. For now, families interested in learning more or signing up for Cub Scout Pack 3775 in Greensboro can contact Cawley at wcawley144@gmail.com or Greensboro Baptist Church for details on meetings, volunteer roles, and financial assistance.
