THE PROFESSIONAL SIDE OF SCOUTING ONE WCBA ATTORNEY’S 30-PLUS YEARS OF DEDICATION TO SERVICE BEYOND THE PRACTICE OF LAW BY BECKY BERRY JOHNSON, LEXIPOL, LLC | WAKE COUNTY BAR FLYER EDITOR
1966: SCOUT MASTER FUTRELL AS A YOUNG BOY SCOUT (FRONT ROW, FOURTH FROM LEFT)
IF SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY THE IMPACT A PERSON has on other peoples’ lives, then Archie W. Futrell III is the most successful person I know. Futrell has practiced law for 42 years in Wake County and served on the WCBA Board of Directors. But it is his service outside of the practice that has had perhaps the greatest impact on others. For the past 30 years, Futrell has served as scoutmaster to Troop 207 of the Boy Scouts of America. In case you’re not terribly familiar with the BSA, that’s 30 years of Troop meetings every Monday night; 30 years of monthly camping trips, no matter the weather; 30 years of weeklong Scouting camp in the summers; and 30 years of commitment to teaching a revolving door of youth without ever receiving a paycheck.
Futrell, like many other kids, joined the BSA because he loved hiking, camping and all that comes with those outdoors activities. But Futrell learned lessons from Scouting that extended beyond the outdoors and into his career as an attorney. “I learned so much from my scoutmaster, Carroll Sasser. Not just about camping, hiking and other scouting skills, but about so many life skills — how to live and work with others; how to motivate other Scouts to get things done; and certainly how to lift up younger Scouts and push them to become successful leaders themselves,” Futrell says. “I learned about the importance of enthusiastic leadership and positivity.” Futrell attributes his ease in the courtroom to public speaking skills learned as a Boy Scout and while serving as a scoutmaster. “When I started as an attorney, I felt generally relaxed presenting cases to the judge since I had been making almost weekly presentations [through Scouting] since I was 14,” he says.
That’s because the wealth that one acquires from that kind of commitment comes in a different form. In January 2020, Futrell received what can only be described as the most prestigious merit badge one could hope to achieve in the world of Scouting — the dedication of the Grand Fireplace at Camp Durant in Moore County in his name, in shared honor with his own scoutmaster, R. Carroll Sasser. During his 30-year tenure as scoutmaster, Futrell graduated 100 Eagle Scouts, the highest rank obtainable by any Boy Scout. It is this achievement of which Futrell is most proud. But it is only with this recent dedication that Futrell learned just how much his years of service made a positive impact on his Scouts and their families.
WAKE BAR FLYER
A CHILDHOOD INTEREST LEADS TO A LIFETIME OF SERVICE
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After becoming an Eagle Scout in 1969, Futrell continued with Scouting for nine years as assistant scoutmaster to Sasser. He assumed the role of Troop 207’s scoutmaster upon Sasser’s retirement, building a team of 10 assistant scoutmasters of his own. As Futrell’s retirement as scoutmaster drew near, one Eagle Scout made it his mission to honor both Futrell and Sasser for their combined years of service.
SECOND QUARTER 2020
