News from Our 13th CSE: Mike Surbaugh Isn’t Dead

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Recently, my sister-in-law went to a Friends of Scouting event and told a district executive that she knew me. He said, “sorry, I heard he had died”. She responded, “unless something happened in the last week, he’s alive and well and enjoying retirement in Florida”.

So, what have we been up to in a year and a half? Well, after a quicker than expected departure from the BSA, Lisa and I followed up on our long-term plan of moving to our home in Florida which is literally in the middle of nowhere in the central part of the state.

We had intended to pursue some part time volunteer opportunities to stay engaged, but then, COVID hit. We were fortunate, some of our family got the virus, but thankfully, no one died or became seriously ill. Additionally, we were lucky to be here as we could do a lot of outdoor activities, so we used the time to work on getting healthy by doing a lot of walking, bicycling and taking up golf.

While we are not good at golf, we are less bad than we were a year ago. Lisa is progressing on that front faster than me. We are now looking forward to pursuing some volunteer activities and getting a bit more engaged and out of our little bubble.

Our first post vaccination outing was a motorcycle trip over to Cape Coral where we saw BSA retiree and my former boss Bill Moran and his wife Jill. Bill at 86 is super active and looks about half his age!

We walked the beach on Captiva and Sanibel and it was wonderful to see the ocean again. Last week we took an airplane trip to Wisconsin to attend a wedding. For those of you who haven’t traveled yet, it is a bit different. A lot of ironic COVID related procedures – example, a lot of emphasis on not touching anyone else’s luggage – but then you get in the shuttles and touch all kinds of rails everyone else has touched. At the Parking Spot, there was a big sign stating that for our safety, they no longer give out bottles of water, but you end up touching a screen a dozen times trying to get your credit card processed to get out the gate. But, they don’t take cash to provide a “touch less” experience. Ummm. Thanks for that.

Free stuff I wish I had taken more of – insulated mugs, they are really handy in Florida. Things I took that are totally useless here – fleece blankets. Lastly, thank you to so many for the words of support and encouragement, we are hopeful and wishing the best for the future of the BSA. From the active employees fighting the good fight, I think the BSA will emerge to serve many youth in the future. Looking forward to seeing and reconnecting now with a lot of our friends!

Mike Surbaugh

 

Originally published in the Summer 2021 Now & Then Newsletter.

Thank goodness Mike and Lisa are alive and well. If you know a fellow BSA Retiree or Spouse who have passed, please add their information to our In Remembrance database.

If you haven’t yet updated your contact information for the BSA Retiree Directory, do it now at Digital Retiree Directory Update.

Now & Then BSA Retiree Communications Team

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We’re pleased to announce that Now & Then, the quarterly newsletter of BSA retirees is going digital.

Allen Mossman

The vision for this began with fellow BSA retiree and long-time Now & Then editor-in-chief, Allen Mossman.

Allen had explored this idea with his editorial team that included John Erickson, Bob Mersereau, and Jim Wilson, and led the team in developing a plan for digital-only retiree communications beginning in 2021.

With the unexpected passing of Allen on October 9, 2020, that team, in partnership with 12th Chief Scout Executive Wayne Brock, took on responsibility for implementing Allen’s vision.

In tribute to and on behalf of Allen, here are the plans and fellow retirees who will be serving as the editorial team of the digital Now & Then.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Now & Then editorial team is to provide digital communications to BSA retirees that inform, equip, and inspire them for sharing the Scouting story and encourage their continued involvement and support of Scouting.

This mission will include quarterly digital editions of Now & Then the official newsletter of BSA retirees and regular BSA news and information updates through the (new) Now & Then Facebook Page.

The team is also exploring ways to provide retirees with the New Horizons and Fond Remembrances information previously included with monthly pension annuity statements sharing the names of new retirees and the passing of fellow retirees and a digital version of the Annual Retiree Directory.

Updates on those efforts will be shared on the Now & Then Facebook Page.

Team Members

The inaugural team for this launch of the digital Now & Then includes fellow retirees with decades of local, regional, and national experience.

  • Now & Then Editorial Team Advisor, Wayne Brock: Following service that included Scout Executive, Regional Director, and Deputy Chief Scout Executive, Wayne was selected by the BSA National Board as our 12th Chief Scout Executive and served until his retirement in September 2015.
  • Editor-in-Chief and Social Media Editor, Mark Griffin: Mark retired as Scout Executive of the Great Salt Lake Council in May 2019. Many also know Mark from his past positions as an Area Director, Director of the Philmont Training Center, Associate Director of Cub Scouting, and Director of Volunteer Training.
  • Associate Editor, John Erickson: John retired in 2007 from his position as Director, Office of the Chief Scout Executive during the tenure of Roy Williams and after having served as Director of the National Training center for 10 years.
  • Associate Editor, Bob Mersereau: Bob served as Director, Office of the Chief Scout Executive during the tenures of Chief Scout Executives, Bob Mazzuca, Wayne Brock, and Mike Surbaugh. Many also know Bob from his years serving as Director of the BSA 100th Anniversary Celebration Project. Bob retired in October 2017.
  • New Horizons and Fond Remembrances Editor, Bob Rydell: Bob served as Scout Executive in Champaign, Illinois and on the National Staff as Associate Director of the Compensation and Benefits Division and as Endowment Director of the Central Region.
  • Production and Technology Manager, Jim Wilson: Jim had a distinguished career in publishing and communications prior to joining the National Council as Communications Department Manager in 1992 where he served until his retirement in 2013.

Retirees interested in serving as Contributing Writers, in a future leadership role on the Now & Then editorial team, or with story ideas to share can contact Editor-in-Chief, Mark Griffin via our contact form. 

BSA news and information updates will begin immediately on the Now & Then Facebook page. The first digital Now & Then retiree newsletter is anticipated to be the Summer 2021 edition with publication in late May.

  • Wayne Brock
  • Mark Griffin
  • John Erikson
  • Bob Mersereau
  • Bob Rydell
  • Jim Wilson