About The Eatonton messenger. (Eatonton, Ga.) 18??-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 7, 2025)
Community Thursday August 7, 2025 The Eatonton Messenger CONTRIBUTED L-R: Aldric Little, Lavoniah Sanders, D'Zavius Pennamon, Kyan Pennamon, Marion Jackson, Leo Johnson, Marquez Pounds, and James Gorley attended the inaugural Knights of Pythagoras black-tie event last month in Charlotte. 1 PK cr COGM SOUTHERN REGION P% H SO Aldric Little Regional Director Local youth attend Knights of Pythagoras conference The Martin Luther King Jr. Council of the Order of the Knights of Pythagoras No. 2 attended the inaugural confer ence of the Council of Grand Masters (COGM) Knights of Pythagoras, July 24-27 in Char lotte, N.C. The conference was hosted by Grandmaster Daniel L. Thompson and led by COGM Knights of Pythagoras President Michael Simms and the executive board. The confer ence was centered on fellowship, educational development, and self-awareness, offering work shops that provided training for youth, mentors, advisors, and parents. There were 290 youth and 50 mentors in attendance from 21 jurisdictions throughout the country, including Georgia, which had a huge impact on the conference with 114 attending. Under the leadership of Grand master Primus T. James Sr., everyone was able to make the trip to provide youth a chance to learn, network, enjoy outdoor recreation, participate in a quiz bowl, and attend a black-tie banquet. Martin Luther King Jr. Council No. 2 was represented by five youth knights and two sir knights including: Master Knight D’Zavius Pennamon, Knight Kyan Pennamon, Knight Marquez Pounds, Knight Marion Jackson, and Knight Leo Johnson. Sir Knight Lavoniah Sanders and James A. Gorley served as chaperones for the event. The Knights of Pythagoras is a youth mentoring program for boys ages 7-21 sponsored by the Prince Hall Masons. The program focuses on youth development, community involvement, and empowering the next generation of future leaders. Any young man can join the program at no cost by contacting Lavoniah Sanders at 706-473-0916 for more information. — Contributed CONTRIBUTED Last year's combined Christmas program at Eatonton First Methodist Church involved members, parents, and leaders of Scout Troop 310 and Cub Scout Pack 34. Golden Eagle awards to benefit Eatonton Scouting Ian Tocher ian@msgrnews.com Scouting is alive and well in Eatonton, with two dedicated Scout troops, plus a pair of Cub Scout packs to serve and benefit local youth. Currently, all are getting ready for the every-oth- er-year Golden Eagle Awards dinner to celebrate and recog nize worthy individuals and/ or organizations that actively contribute to making a positive impact on lives within their community. This year’s Golden Eagle honorees will be Mothers Against Crime and Putnam General Hospital, said Garrett Williams, Scout Executive and CEO of the Central Georgia Council Scouting America (CGCSA), based in Macon. Within its 24-county territory, CGCSA services approximately 2,000 youth participants and adult volunteers administering nearly 70 different Scouting programs, Williams said. “Mothers Against Crime does so much positive in the commu nity every year and Putnam General keeps the community healthy,” he added during a recent visit to Eatonton. Williams said both organiza tions will be celebrated during the Golden Eagle Honoree Dinner & Fundraiser, scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 28, at Barrel 118 in downtown Eatonton. “Not only will we recognize the important contributions CONTRIBUTED L-R: Cub Scout Pack leader David Skinner, Scoutmaster Willie F. Thompkins of Scout Troop 132, and Garrett Williams, Scout Executive and CEO of the Central Georgia Council Scouting America, met recently in Eatonton to discuss the Golden Eagle Awards event and fundraiser scheduled for Aug. 28 at Barrel 118 in Eatonton. of Mothers Against Crime and Putnam General Hospital to making Eatonton and Putnam County a better place to live, but the resources that are generated from that event will help to support and grow the mission of Scouting across a 24-county service area in a variety of ways, operationally,” Williams explained. ‘We don’t necessarily have an event in every county; however, because of the generosity of those that allow things to happen, everyone benefits,” he added. “So, the resources will come back. They benefit our packs, our troops, and hope fully our future Exploring Club goals.” Scoutmaster Willie F. Thomp kins has led Eatonton’s Scout Troop 132 since 1978, not long after returning from Vietnam as a Marine and later serving in the Army National Guard. He took over the troop from its founder, 101-year-old George Jordon, providing a long, solid history of reliable Scouting lead ership in Eatonton. Thompkins’ troop meets at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at Eatonton’s American Legion Hall (280 Martin Luther King Dr.), following the 5:30 p.m. meeting each time for Cub Scout Pack No. 583. He stressed that he appreciates the help and leadership that CGCSA provides from its Macon base. Likewise, Cubmaster David Skinner of Cub Scout Pack No. 34 at Eatonton First Methodist Church (103 W. Magnolia St.), said he’s looking forward to the Golden Eagle Awards event, knowing it will benefit his pack in the long run, but also because it provides a showcase for his boys to demonstrate and show off some of the benefits of being involved in Scouting. “If you ask the average person on the street what kind of person they are, I think most of them will say something like, Well, I think I’m a good person,’ that kind of stuff,” Skinner explained. “But I tell my Scouts that there are 12 words, the Scout Law, that you can use in a second to define your char acter: ‘I'm trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.’ I just think that's powerful stuff.” Tickets to the Golden Eagle Awards are $100 each, with all proceeds going to benefit CGCSA Scouts across its 24-county reach. Additionally, opportunities exist for those who want to step up even further to support Scouting initiatives. “We have sponsorship oppor tunities at various levels where you get to put your business or name in the program book, as well as other options,” he said, repeating that all Scouts in the region, including those in Eatonton, will ultimately benefit. “The last time we did this here it was at Barrel 118, too, and we had over a hundred people show up. So, it was a very successful event, which I believe this will be, too.”
