Hinesville attorney Billy Jones was honored Thursday by the Boy Scouts of America Liberty District during the annual Good Scout award breakfast at First United Methodist Church in Hinesville.
Jones said he was honored to get, though not deserving of, the 2011 Good Scout award. He said he would accept the award on behalf of the Boy Scouts, of which he and his two sons were once members.
Jones, a partner in Jones, Osteen & Jones law firm, was praised for his continuous generosity and support of the Boy Scouts of America as well as for exemplifying BSA leadership characteristics. Jones’ wife, Mary Anne Jones, and son, Jason Jones, also attended the award breakfast.
Jones is a past president of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association. The Reidsville native also has served on numerous charitable and professional boards, including a seat on The Coastal Bank board of directors. He graduated from Georgia Southern University in 1969 and earned his law degree from Mercer University in 1972.
“I pay tribute to the men who were my Boy Scout leaders when I was growing up,” Jones said. “I’m not here for what I can do for scouting; I’m here for what scouting has done for me.”
He also paid tribute to a list of prominent Liberty County residents, living and deceased, who dedicated themselves to the Boy Scouts’ mission of instilling values in youth. The local attorney said the leadership and life skills he learned in scouting are still with him today.
3rd ID deputy commander Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Phillips, a guest at the award breakfast, said he attained Eagle Scout status when he was a scout. Scouting grew, in part, out of America’s past outdoor tradition, Phillips said.
“Scouting connects us to our youth,” he added.
Jones’ friends, Jack Waters, a past vice president of The Heritage Bank, and Superior Court Judge Paul Rose introduced Jones before the award presentation and spoke of the value of scouting.
Rose said Jones shares football legend Herschel Walker’s humble philosophy. The judge said he had thanked Walker for attending a fundraising golf tournament in Hinesville some years ago. According to Rose, Walker replied, “There’s no need to thank me; it’s all about giving back.”
Micah Donaldson, Boy Scouts of America Liberty District executive, said scouting teaches boys “to be part of the community.”
“If a boy spends two years in scouts, he is 70 percent more likely to graduate from high school and 60 percent more likely to graduate from a four-year college,” Donaldson said.
“Scouting is core family values,” he said. “Camping and other fun activities draw them in.”
The BSA Liberty District includes Liberty, Long and Bryan counties. The district is a part of the Coastal Empire Council, which also includes Screven, Bulloch, Candler, Evans, Tattnall, Toombs, Effingham and Chatham counties along with the three Liberty District counties.
For more information, go to www.bsasavannah.org.