Meet the new district executive for Boy Scouts

Carl Kieke
·3 min read

Visitors to the Boy Scout office in Abilene will be seeing a new face, as the long-vacant role of district executive has been filled.

Wesley Hicks, 45, has taken that position for Pecan Valley and Buffalo Mountain districts, covering an area from Lampasas and San Saba to Haskell and Roscoe.

Hicks is a Big Country native, growing up in Buffalo Gap and attending school in the Jim Ned district before transferring to (and graduating from) Cooper High School.

He graduated from the University of Texas in Austin with a degree in kinesiology and a minor in business. He spent approximately 20 years in medical sales and health care marketing. He saw the opening for district executive on Indeed, interviewed with council executive Mark Conrad and began work Nov. 7.

“I want to assist children; that is my goal in life,” he said.

That may be hereditary: His mother founded and is CEO of Camp Able in Buffalo Gap, which uses horse therapy to assist handicapped individuals, particularly children.

Hicks’ previous experience with Scouting was as a Cub Scout in first and second grade.

“I’m still learning,” he said. He has several learning modules to go through, plus learning all the volunteers involved in the Scouting program in Texas Trails Council.

His main focus?

“Growing units,” he said. Like many other activities, COVID-19 hurt the program and he hopes to help rebuild it.“We’re gonna make this happen. It’s gonna be wonderful for the kids,” he said.

Other pastimes for Hicks include golf (“I love golf”), football and, especially, baseball. He is a strong Longhorns fan, where he walked on as a linebacker and where his dad played for the 1970 national championship team.

Upcoming events

  • “New Leader Learning Path” for adult Girl Scout leaders, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. Virtual event; registration deadline has passed, so check at gs-top.org under “Events & activities” calendar for availability. Shannon Spencer, 806-589-5950 or sspencer@gs-top.org.

  • “Hour of Code Minecraft,” 5 p.m. Wednesday. Virtual event; open to Girl Scouts of all ages and councils. $4 per person. Deadline has passed; check at gsctx.org under “Events” calendar for availability.Girl Scout troop cookie chair Q&A, 7 p.m. Thursday. Virtual event; no charge, but register at gs-top.org under “Events & activities” calendar.

  • Service day at Girl Scout Camp Timberlake or Stevens Ranch Saturday. Come and go or stay all day. Bring your lunch. No fee, but register at gs-top.org under “Events” calendar (deadline has passed; check for availability). Heidi Vose, 817-869-7036 or hvose@gs-top.org.

  • Tot Spot art classes for pre-schoolers, 9:30 or 11 a.m. Thursday or Friday, The Grace Museum, 102 Cypress St., Abilene. Free for Grace members, $7 per child for others. Adult must accompany child (no additional charge). Register at thegracemuseum.org under “Classes and events” tab; walk-ins also welcome. 325-673-4587.

  • Cub Scout/Scouts BSA adult leaders’ roundtable, 7 p.m. Dec. 8, Highland Church of Christ, 425 Highland Ave., Abilene (one block west of Sayles Boulevard). Bring unit recharter paperwork and fees. 325-677-2688.

  • Girl Scout Cookie University, for Scouts of all ages, 9 a.m.-noon Dec. 10, Abilene; location announced when registering. Learn tricks for successful cookie sales. $10 per Scout ($12 for Scouts outside Texas Oklahoma Plains council). Deadline has passed; contact Emily Marquez, 325-480-1615 or emarquez@gs-top.org.

Deadlines

  • Saturday for Girl Scout “Cookie University” Dec. 10. For Daisy, Brownie and Junior Girl Scouts and parents. Location TBA after registration. Girl Scouts in Texas Oklahoma Plains Council, $10 per Scout; out-of-council $12. Register at gs-top.org under “Events & activities” calendar.

Contact Carl Kieke at 325-673-3552 (voice only); or kiekec@suddenlink.net. Deadline is Monday for publication the following Monday.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Meet the new district executive for Boy Scouts