Gillespie: Scouts program needs adult volunteers

The Salvation Army pastor Wayne Gillespie, right, answers a question from a Rotary Club of Saipan member in yesterday’s meeting at the Giovanni’s restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Saipan. Gillespie is asking his fellow Rotarians to support his plan of reviving the Boy and Cub Scouts program. (Jon Perez)

More than four adult volunteers are needed to fill various posts to lead the CNMI Boy and Cub Scouts. The Salvation Army pastor Wayne Gillespie is trying to revive the program in the Commonwealth that has been in the doldrums more than 10 years now.

Gillespie was one of the guest speakers in yesterday’s Rotary Club of Saipan meeting at the Giovanni’s restaurant of the Hyatt Regency Saipan. He urged Rotary members, especially those in the business sector and church groups, to help support the program.

“That’s why I’m reaching out to businesses and churches for their support, either by volunteering to be one of the adult leaders or sponsor the unit. Adult leaders will undergo background check just to make sure they don’t have any bad record,” Gillespie told the Saipan Tribune.

“If they chose to sponsor a unit, especially for businesses, it would only cost them a little amount in helping the scouts,” said Gillespie, who added that at least four adult counselors—two each for the Boy and Cub Scouts—are needed.

A number of merit badge counselors are also needed, aside from the four that would act as the Scout leaders. A wide variety of badges, either for emergency preparedness or camping and hiking, are going to be awarded to members of the units who accomplish certain activities.

Gillespie, who is the sergeant-at-arms of the local Rotary Club, said volunteers for the district committee members are positions that must also be filled up. “There are a number of posts also for the district committee and they will help run the district and provide leadership.”

He said that a volunteer doesn’t need to be a former Boy or Cubs Scout to fill up the vacant positions. “Even me, I was never a Scout but I volunteered. You don’t need to have experience being a Boy or Cub Scout to become an adult leader.”

“There are a lot of training programs and outlines online on how to become a Scout Master that can be quickly learned. These are training in order for you to know how to organize and hold meetings,” said Gillespie.

Gillespie added that women are also welcome to volunteer for any position. “Women can be Scout leaders too. All we need are committed volunteers that would help the program.”

“They could get in touch with me so we could schedule and organize a meeting. I’m more than willing to answer any of their questions and be with them every step of the way,” said Gillespie.

The CNMI is under the Honolulu-based Aloha Council that also includes Hawaii, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Palau. The Aloha Council has the largest geographical area of the Scout Movement.

The training sources can be on the Aloha Council website at alohacouncilbsa.org. For information, call or text Gillespie at 483-0885.