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WEEKLY NEWSPAPER Our 33rd Year • Over 25,000 Weekly Readers ISSUE NO. 22 • May 29, 2025 • RutherfordWeekly.com • 828-248-1408
Trailman Brantley Winn receives troop’s most prestigious honor Article by Jean Gordon. Contributed Photos.
requirement for membership as a trailman in a troop, a declaration of faith in Jesus A member of Trail Life USA Troop 1213, for salvation and the ability to share you based at Corinth Baptist Church in Ellenboro, testimony is required to be considered for received the organization’s most prestigious the award. Troop 1213 meets at Corinth with award recently. Brantley Winn, 18, of Boiling Springs was presented The Freedom Award. TroopMaster Thomas Tisdale of Ellenboro Brantley is the son of Jason and Julie Winn and the blessings of pastor Rev. Mike Conner and the church. There are seven of Boiling Springs. The Freedom Award is the pinnacle youth, including Brantley, and three adult award earned in Trail Life USA. It signifies leaders from Cleveland County in the troop. the highest level of accomplishment a young There are 32 youth from Rutherford and11 man can achieve in a troop. The scriptural adult leaders. The Trail Life Freedom Award is the reference for the award is John 8:36, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free culmination of everything in the Trail Life journey, explained Brantley. This includes indeed.” While being a Christian is not a all the base awards- Rope Work, Our Flag, Outdoor Cooking, Trail Skills, Citizenship, Personal Resources, Emergency Preparedness, and Family Man. This also includes 10 required elective badges. All of this was accomplished in order to attain the Horizon Award, one step before receiving Freedom. To receive the Freedom Award a trailman also receive Worthy Life Award which is serving at a church and hosting youth Bible studies. In Brantley’s journey he also preached three Sundays on youth days at Beaver Dam. Trailmen are required to complete around 20-30 service hours, not including the Worthy Life, for Freedom Service Project. Major and Minor Fields are other award steps, Brantley explained. For his Major, Christian Ministry, Brantley served two consecutive weeks at a mission Brantley with TroopMaster Thomas Tisdale camp and he earned his Minor receiving during the awards ceremony. a Red Cross lifeguard certification and working as a lifeguard for two summers at South Mountain Christian Camp. “Once all of these were set in stone, I could then move forward with my Freedom Service Project,” Brantley said. For his project, he built a gaga ball pit at Beaver Dam Baptist Church, where he is a member. He was required to organize, fund raise, construct and oversee the project. He raised the funds sponsoring a car wash and some materials were donated by Ellis Lumber, and Henson Building Brantley following the awards ceremony. The Troop number is a Materials and others. Brantley was representation of the troop scripture verse, Ecclesiastes 12:13. required to go before He grips The Standard, a wooden pole with his awards.
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a review board which was the examination of the trailman’s character. This included a recitation of the Trail Life Motto, Oath, his personal testimony and to answer questions from the panel. “Brantley is an impressive young man and is in every way a great example of Trail Life Freedom Range man,” said Tisdale. “His Christian walk meets the motto of Trail Life Walk Worthy. He has a great attitude and a spirit of dedication to all groups he has As a 10-year-old Trail Life member, Brantley was featured on the been associated,” cover of the Trail Life USA magazine. Tisdale said. “It has been an honor and with two others were required to lead the joy to be his Troop master.” group in silence up the mountain, keep a Brantley was the only trainman to receive fire going all night, and have everyone up by the Freedom Award this year. 4:30 the next day, Brantley said. Through Trail Life, Brantley believes he “We did all this, but also had a Bible study has become a strong leader, following in on Daniel and had a prayer circle that lasted the footsteps of his fellow trailman and First hours. One kid accepted Christ and I have Officer Zach Connor. never felt God’s presence more than that “This led me to taking his role after he moment, when I was joined by young men aged out of the troop and I stayed in that role who craved God in the most vulnerable for two years, conducting meetings, helping place, around people they’d never met, and boys in trail badges, and even serving as in God’s creation. This is truly where I gave camp First Officer at Summer Adventure my life to Christ and it is the best memory I (which is equivalent to the BSA Jamboree),” have.” Brantley said. Brantley says he will miss the camaraderie His experience as a First Officer taught among the troop as he sets off to college, but Brantley, the leading is about others, not has already discovered troops around North about one’s self. Greenville. Brantley said he also gained a greater “This gives me joy and I am glad that my relationship with God through Trail Life. Trail Life is not yet over,” he said. “I have seen the leadership of others Brantley encourages others to join the played out due to their love for Christ and I organization. accepted Christ fully as the Lord of my life “There is nothing like getting out in the at a Summer Adventure. This has shown woods, getting your hands dirty, sharpening me how to be a good leader by following the sticks, learning trail skills, building example of Jesus, and listening to the words friendships, and growing closer to God with of Paul, applying them both as my moral other young men,” he said. code, and Walk of Life.” Brantley will graduate from Thomas Among his most memorable times was Jefferson Classical Academy on Friday, May during the 2022 Summer Adventure, a 30 and will attend North Greenville University three mile overnight hike that Brantley and in the fall. He was a member of TJCA’s swim approximately 30 others participated. He team and the Rutherford County Swim Team. was placed as a patrol leader and he along
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