SCOUT’S HONOR
Nutiket Sachgagunummen Klamachpin.
It means “Guard Who Leads Quietly.” And it’s the American Indian name Matthew Watson (expected ’19), biology major at North Green- ville University, received during his time in the Boy Scouts of America.
Matthew’s a poster boy for the Scouts, you might say. He’s been involved in the organiza- tion since first grade, when a group of recruit- ers visited his school. He was immediately captivated by their “fancy blue uniforms.” But this was also shortly after the September 11 attacks, and even at the young age of seven, Matthew had a desire to help.
“I felt led to join the Boy Scouts because I knew what it did for our country throughout its history,” he says.
Like the day President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration was nearly canceled because of heavy snowfall in Washington, DC, Matthew recounts. Boy Scouts “came out in hoards” and worked to clear the snow so the show could go on.
Tat was the same day Kennedy said, quite 12 |
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memorably, “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” Perhaps Matthew’s been hearing that sentiment for years from his family full of veterans. Tey’ve served in essentially every American conflict since the Revolutionary War, he adds.
Early on, Matthew says he became committed to Christ through the “cascade” of lessons he learned and experiences he had in the Scouts.
“Tat’s how I found God. It wasn’t necessar- ily through just the Bible stories; it was also looking at creation and seeing evidence for something that — this wasn’t an accident. Something had to be there to create it,” he remembers.
As time went on, he rose in the ranks. He became a First Class Scout in middle school. Soon after, he was inducted into the Order of the Arrow, the national honor society that prepares members for leadership in the Scouts. In 2016, Matthew became the section chief for Section SR-5, Order of the Arrow, serving as the head Boy Scout in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. Tat same year, he was elected as a Jamboree vice chief to help plan
for the 2017 National Scout Jamboree, with a specific focus on educating Scouts all around the world about the American Indian culture.
Currently, Matthew serves as the chapter advisor for the Ani-Wa’ya Chapter, part of the Blue Ridge Council of the Boy Scouts. He has also been selected to serve as the young adult human resources coordinator for the 24th World Scout Jamboree event planned for sum- mer 2019. It’s the largest regular event orga- nized by the World Organization of the Scout Movement, drawing up to 50,000 Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts from more than 150 countries around the world. In his role, Matthew has been instrumental in filling positions at the event, as well as onboarding and training all U.S. youth, staff, and adults who will partici- pate in the event.
“I’m passionate about our work in Boy Scouts because it makes a difference in people’s lives,” he says. “It really makes an impact when [some Scout who you have no idea looks up to you comes] back years down the road and [tells] you that one conversation you had with them really changed their life. And that’s happened to me and some of my friends in national leadership.”
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