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.

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.

A CHILDHOOD INTEREST LEADS TO A LIFETIME OF SERVICE

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.

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.

A GRAND DISPLAY OF THANKS

Scott Ogle earned his Eagle Scout in 1991 under the tutelage of Sasser and Futrell. Although he lost touch with Futrell after his own Scouting days ended, Ogle carried the lessons he learned into his working life as CEO of a 300-person software company. After 10 years in such a high-pressure position, Ogle found himself in transition following the sale of that company.

Like most people who find themselves with extra time to think, Ogle found himself reflecting on the path that led him to running a successful business as a CEO. That path, it happens, was paved by the lessons learned from Scoutmaster Futrell.

Ogle says it takes getting older and more experienced to really understand the magnitude of the lessons learned during those Scouting years. “No one trains you to be a CEO. But, there wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t lean on training from Scouting in running a 300-person software company,” Ogle says. “That’s the professional side of it that I got from Scouting. The best leaders lead by example. I still, today, use Archie [Futrell] as a benchmark to compare myself against.”

GRAND FIREPLACE: SCOUTMASTERS SASSER AND FUTRELL IN FRONT OF THE GRAND FIREPLACE DEDICATED IN THEIR HONOR

When faced with a challenge, Ogle says he ponders his own decision-making with: How would Archie have done this? “It was just a positive calmness that he would always have when dealing with crises. That’s important to learn when you’re 14,” Ogle says.

This kind of reflecting also got Ogle thinking: There must be other Scouts whose lives have been similarly impacted by the lessons learned from Futrell and his predecessor. And, he was right. Ogle initiated a campaign that raised more than $100,000 for the purpose of honoring Futrell’s contributions as Troop 207’s scoutmaster, alongside Sasser.

“The amount of time and sacrifice — it makes me feel like: What have I done for anybody? It’s just amazing how many people this has touched; that is what is so staggering about it,” Ogle says of the seven decades of combined service by Futrell and Sasser.

SCOTT OGLE (EAGLE, ’91) AND SCOUTMASTER FUTRELL. OGLE SPEARHEADED THE FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN FOR THE GRAND FIREPLACE DEDICATION IN FUTRELL’S HONOR.

RETIRING AS SCOUTMASTER DOESN’T MEAN RETIRING FROM SCOUTING

The fundraising and dedication to Futrell’s service with the BSA has led to a bittersweet retirement as Troop 207’s scoutmaster. “This really does mean a lot to me,” Futrell says of the Grand Fireplace dedication. “I’m humbled and proud and excited, all at the same time.”

Despite his retirement as scoutmaster, Futrell says he will stay involved in Scouting because he believes so strongly in the benefits of Scouting and today’s youth. More than 30 years of service is certainly a testament to that. WBF