Brother George "Bud" Dyer
Greetings, Sisters and Brothers.
I reach out to you to share the news of the passing of Brother George “Bud” Dyer just this past Easter Sunday. Uncle Bud, as I would come to know him, was Scoutmaster, among many other roles, of Troop 406 in Hiawassee for several years in the 1970’s and 1980’s and was chosen for the honor of membership into the Order of the Arrow from that Troop. Troop 406 attended Rainey Mountain for many summer camps and Uncle Bud became friends with Carnell Gullett who was the Ranger during that time. He also served for a time on the Executive Board of the Northeast Georgia Council and started the Young Harris College Merit Badge Clinic in 1986. My connection to him was based on Scouting, but our relationship developed outside of Scouting.
I worked for three and half years after graduating high school and was very involved in Scouting as what Lodgemaster categorizes as a ‘YA’ (Young Adult). I then decided to go back to school and chose Young Harris College, a small residential private institution an hour west of Rainey Mountain. Uncle Bud was the Director of Admissions and worked with me to get enrolled. Our shared love of and belief in Scouting was an instrumental first discovery in our relationship.
I joined a fraternity my first quarter at Young Harris College (YHC) and Uncle Bud was the fraternity’s advisor. This combined with his knowledge of our Scouting connection led to his recruiting me to help him get the Merit Badge Clinic program started. My time at YHC was some of best I’ve enjoyed and I still have many friends today that I made while there. But I learned and continue to learn that there was much more to the education I experienced there than just attending classes and completing a course of study.As a small residential college, we were in close contact with others and there was a special quality of community.Not just in the formal sense, but in learning to live in community. And while there are many I still love, admire, and appreciate from that time, Uncle Bud was special and he knew how to make one feel cared for, loved. He emulated for me not just what, but how, I believe Scouting impacts our world, and not at Scouting functions or events, but in another community.He had a very developed skill of empathy and knew how to connect with people, how to place himself in their world.
There has been a major outpouring from the many lives he impacted and influenced recruiting students, as a long-time administrator, as the Lead Volunteer Fireman in Young Harris, and as a committed member of his church and his community. He served for almost three decades as the advisor to our fraternity and this news spread like wildfire Sunday evening and Monday morning.In each of these roles he made a positive impact on those he lived in community with. Bud hired my wife and was her first supervisor at YHC almost 30 years ago. He made an indelible impact on us both.
He always seemed to live, as best that anyone can, the Ideals and Spirit of Scouting. His life was an example to me and many others of seeking what’s best in others and our world by his daily approach and interactions. His ties to his community were deep because he committed himself to it. He was always calm and knew how to work as part and as a leader of a team, a community.
I believe that he lived as a servant leader and it is good to know that he shared the values we share and aspire to today. He was a role model I needed. It’s good to know they are out there. Thank one of yours if get the chance.
Thank you for being role models and all that you do to make our world better. Bud's life example is proof that it can happen. He didn't wait for the community to come to him. Neither should we.
Please lift up the Dyer Family during this time of transition. You can view his obituary here.
Yours in Brotherhood,
Rusty Royston
Lodge Advisor, Mowogo Lodge
Northeast Georgia Council, BSA