Scout council seeks new leader

The Great Salt Lake Council of the Boy Scouts of America is seeking a new executive Scout leader.

Paul Moore, its Scout executive/CEO for almost five years, is leaving Oct. 31 to take a similar position with the Los Angeles Area Council of the Boy Scouts.

Moore, a 36-year Scouting professional, had replaced Martin W. Latimer, who retired after 14 years in the position, back in early 2004.

John Kirkham, president of the Great Salt Lake Council, said it will take six weeks or more to find a replacement for Moore. "I think Paul has made a tremendous contribution to the council," he said.

Moore said there are four improvements he is especially proud to have made during his administration of Utah's biggest Scout council and one of the largest in the nation:

• He said the council's safety record has gone from a near failing mark to one of the best in the nation. He said that includes fewer injuries to boys and fewer claims and lost kids.

• The council has created a committee designed to foster environmental conservation among Scouts.

• The council has extended Scouting to a broader spectrum of youths. This has included creating a "welcoming climate among wards," the council's primary troop sponsor.

• The GSL Council has grown by 13,500 boys during the past five years to a total of 77,842 kids, or a 20.5 percent growth rate. A key to that growth rate has been promoting the Learning for Life program.

Kirkham said Moore's successor can make promoting better camping opportunities as one of his primary challenges.

"We're going to do that," he said, "because that's the core of Scouting."

He also said Scouts need to continue to play an important role in the community. Moore agreed and stressed he believes the next Scout leader in Salt Lake City has a good platform to build from.

Moore was also the first nonmember of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to serve as Scout executive/CEO in the Great Salt Lake Council's history.

Kirkham said there are challenges ahead for nonprofit groups, like Scouting, in these difficult economic times. However, Scouting has tended to grow during such trials.

The Great Salt Lake Council of the Boy Scouts began in 1919 and is one of the 50 oldest Scout councils in the nation. The council is directed by an estimated 30,000 volunteers. The council includes 29 districts and spans all of Salt Lake County and goes as far north as Farmington in Davis County. It also includes Tooele and Summit counties.

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E-mail: lynn@desnews.com