Friends of Scouting dinner set March 11

By Staff
February 29, 2004
By Steve Gillespie / staff writer
Officials of the Choctaw Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, plan to make their Friends of Scouting dinner scheduled March 11 an area tradition.
Set for 6:30 p.m., in Kahlmus Auditorium at Mississippi State University-Meridian Campus, the dinner will be held to kick off the council's 2004 Friends of Scouting fund-raising campaign.
The guest speaker scheduled is legendary football coach and former deputy director of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, Bob Tyler.
Now retired, Tyler, 74, serves as president of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Foundation.
A native of Water Valley, Tyler coached high school football in his hometown, Okolona, Senatobia and Meridian, leading the Wildcats to two consecutive conference championships in 1967 and 1968.
He coached on John Vaught's staff at the University of Mississippi and under Bear Bryant at the University of Alabama before moving to Mississippi State University, where he was head football coach from 1973-1978.
Tyler continued his coaching career for many years on the college, community college and high school levels.
Jim McCay, Choctaw Area Council 2004 Friends of Scouting chairman, said Tyler has had a tremendous influence in the lives of many young people, just as scouting has.
McCay said the evening will also be an opportunity to introduce scouting supporters to the council's new Scout executive, John Beauregard.
Chuck Nicholson, the council president, said the dinner is a new approach to the Friends of Scouting campaign. The Choctaw Area Council serves Lauderdale, Clarke, Kemper, Newton and Neshoba counties in Mississippi and Choctaw County in Alabama.