Leader of the pack
Alan Lepard '98
District Executive of Mohwak, Sante Fe Trail Districts, Quivira Council
Boy Scouts of America, Newton, Kan.
Major: Religion
Professional Scout.
As a district executive for Boy Scouts of America, Alan provides support to 70 troops and packs of Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, helping them raise funds and manage volunteers. He also gets to know the boys and adult leaders and manages relationships among 1,500 scouts and 300 volunteers.
Common threads.
Alan’s initial plan, as a Bluffton freshman, was to be a high school math teacher. Along the way, he changed his major from education to religion. For several years after graduation, he served as the youth and young adult pastor at Faith Mennonite Church in Newton, Kan., working as a carpenter on the side.
Always a scout.
Alan came to the Bluffton as an Eagle Scout in 1994. During his time at Bluffton, he remained active in scouting, traveling to camps and events throughout Ohio to make presentations and conduct trainings. He was offered full-time employment with Boy Scouts after graduation, but declined it so he could pursue pastoral work.
Putting it all together.
Last fall, Alan felt called to return to increased involvement with scouting. He took a scouting-related job in which he developed and taught a curriculum for outdoor skills. In January, he was named district executive of the Mohawk and Santa Fe Trail districts of Boy Scouts. “In some ways it’s ministry, in some ways it’s business. In some ways it’s camping, in some ways it’s just fun,” he says.
Fun with a purpose.
Every scouting activity has a purpose. Camp-outs and games teach character and values. Scouts learn about responsible citizenship, about preparedness for emergencies and wilderness survival. Earning merit badges and advancing along the way, scouts learn the value of working hard to achieve a goal. “It’s a way to broaden horizons,” Alan says. “Some youth today tend to give up easily. Boy Scouts encourages them to persist even in the face of adversity.”
Habitat for Humanity.
As a member of the board of directors of Habitat for Humanity in Harvey County, Kan., Alan serves as an advocate for needy families purchasing homes from the organization. Part of his job is ensuring the home meets their needs. For some Habitat recipients, it is their first house, so Alan’s role continues after the family moves in. He offers friendship that might be needed if the family faces challenges with finances, home maintenance or relations with neighbors.
Bluffton encouragement.
Memories of open, encouraging faculty at Bluffton remain with Alan. He was especially struck by “how close a student is able to get to his or her professors.” Time spent walking and studying in the Bluffton University Nature Preserve also made his college experience a unique one.
