Mike Matzinger
Before James Earl “Jimmy” Carter Jr. became the 39th president of the United States (1977–1981) and the 76th governor of Georgia, he served in a role that was smaller in scale but deeply formative — Scout leader for his children’s troop in the Chehaw Council (now the South Georgia Council).
Carter’s Scouting service began in 1951, when he took on a variety of leadership roles including troop committee member, committee chair, Scoutmaster, Exploring Advisor, and Cubmaster. His involvement was hands-on and creative, guiding Scouts through projects, hikes, and camping trips that became legendary in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.
His children remember those years vividly. Daughter Amy recalls that her brother Chip described Scouting with their dad as “the happening thing that was going on” — full of camping in places like Georgia’s Providence Canyon, building makeshift animals out of pipes, and listening to Carter’s famously spine-tingling ghost stories around the campfire. His strict but encouraging leadership style made him both respected and admired. He taught discipline without harshness, inspired curiosity with stories from his Navy days, and pushed Scouts to aim high, whether it was achieving the Order of the Arrow or setting personal life goals.
Scouting was a family affair for the Carters. Rosalynn Carter served as den mother for their oldest son John’s Cub Scout pack, and other relatives, including Carter’s cousin Hugh, were active Scouts and leaders. The values of service, skill-building, and moral development that Carter championed in Scouting echoed throughout his later humanitarian work.
Carter’s contributions to Scouting were recognized nationally. In 1978, while serving as president, he received the Silver Buffalo Award, the Boy Scouts of America’s highest commendation for service to youth. A year later, he was honored with the Good Shepherd Award from the Association of Baptists for Scouting for his dedication to the spiritual and moral development of young people.
Even decades after leaving the White House, Carter’s Scouting connections remained strong. In one of his last public outings before entering hospice care, he joined his grandson Errol’s Troop 101 in Atlanta for a walk in Plains, Georgia — a full-circle moment that symbolized his lifelong belief in mentorship and community.
Jimmy Carter’s approach to leadership in Scouting — organized, inspiring, and rooted in service — mirrored the values he carried into public life. As one former Scout put it: “He was a great example. He told us to aim for the top — and he lived that lesson himself.”
Read more about Jimmy Carter and his Scouting background here –
