If he were alive to see the growth of the Boy Scouts of America in Scotland County, lifelong Scouts supporter Pete Hasty would undoubtedly be smiling.
Hasty Realty has organized an annual golf tournament which benefits local charitable causes for 25 years. But when Hasty passed away in 2000, it was decided a short time later that the tournament would focus solely on raising money for scouting, a passion of Hasty’s which lasted his entire life.
The past two years has seen the various Lumber District (which includes Scotland, Robeson and Hoke counties) scouting organizations grow by 14%, with several new troops (or packs) created during the same time span in Scotland County alone.
And with the more than $10,000 raised by the 2012 Pete Hasty Memorial Golf Tournament, local scouts will receive funds that will help them continue to grow.
“Scouting is alive and well, and I believe we’ve seen a resurgence in the area,” said Will Robertson, District Executive for the Boy Scouts of America Cape Fear Council. Robertson was one of more than 60 golfers who arrived to Scotch Meadows Country Club Wednesday afternoon to take part in the annual charity golf tournament.
“The world is a relay race, and it’s important that we pass on the values that scouting teaches our youth to the next generation. This tournament makes our cause visible and also raises money that will help us reach more people.”
Each year the Scotch Meadows Country Club hosts approximately 15-20 different golf tournaments sponsoring charity organizations. And golf club professional Chip Wells has overseen them all for the past 27 years, including the yearly tournament hosted by Hasty Realty.
Like many of the golfers in attendance, the Pete Hasty Memorial golf tournament carried a special meaning for Wells.
“My son is currently a Webelo Scout, which makes this cause near and dear to my heart,” said Wells, whose son Tripp is a member of Scotland Troop 420. “He gets exposed to so many things that he can take with him as he gets older. It’s great to see something like this come together year after year to raise money for positive things in the community.”
The tournament saw teams of four partake in an 18-hole ‘Captain’s Choice’ format, with the five lowest team scores receiving a wealth of prizes including gift certificates and golf supplies, all donated. Rewards for ‘longest drive’ and ‘pin proximity’ were also dispersed.
Current Hasty Realty president Guy McCook has been the chairman of the event since it debuted in the mid-1980’s, but over the past two years he has shared the responsibility with another. Scottish Foods Systems president Tab Broome has helped shoulder the burden in addition to several dedicated volunteers.
A fairly new resident to Scotland County, golf tournament co-chair Broome has nonetheless become aware of the local community’s socioeconomic struggles. Broome believes that reaching local youth with positive programs such as the Boys Scouts can make a difference.
“I think this area needs it more than pretty much anywhere else in the United States,” Broome said. “That’s why I was so passionate about getting involved with this tournament, because it’s extremely important to get local kids to focus on what’s really important in life. If you don’t push programs like this, kids won’t be interested in giving them a try.”
After an afternoon spent on the links, participants returned back to the Scotch Meadows clubhouse to enjoy food, refreshments and the handing out of prizes donated by local businesses. Manning the barbecue was John Hasty, son of Pete who began slow-cooking the whole pig the night before.
Following in the footsteps of his father’s passion, John Hasty was an Eagle Scout who participated in the program until the age of 17. Seeing the camaraderie on display at the clubhouse, John Hasty was reminded of the bonds he made as a member of the Scouts during his formative years.
And looking ahead, Hasty sees his dad’s life work being in good hands.
“The Boy Scouts were a big part of my dad’s life, and he spent many years serving them,” Hasty said. In life, Hasty’s father was a member of the Board of the Cape Fear Council of the Boy Scouts. “He’d be very proud to see events like this continuing to help out a cause that was so dear to him.”
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