MSU Office of Public Affairs
News Bureau (662) 325-3442
Contact: Sid Salter
ssalter@opa.msstate.edu
June 1, 2025
STARKVILLE, Miss.— The Natchez Trace Council of the Boy Scouts of America will
honor U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Brookhaven as winner of the Champion for Scouting award from the council at a reception and dinner at The Mill at Mississippi State University on July 2, 2025, at 6 p.m.
The reception will provide an opportunity for sponsors to meet and greet the Senator before the dinner and program. The event is a fundraiser for the Natchez Trace Council of the Scouting program in northeast Mississippi, serving Alcorn, Benton, Calhoun, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Clay, Itawamba, Lafayette, Lee, Lowndes, Marshall, Monroe, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Prentiss, Pontotoc, Tippah, Tishomingo, Union, Webster, Winston and Yalobusha counties.
Mississippi State University President Mark E. Keenum is the honorary chairman for the
event. Premium sponsorship levels include: Presenting sponsor ($20,000); Platinum ($15,000); Gold ($5,000); Silver ($2,500); and Honorary ($1,500). Individual tickets begin at $250 for two. For tickets or information, contact Sid Salter at (662) 325-3442 or (601) 507-8004 or Pushmataha District Scouting Executive Gary Smith at (662) 268-6029 or (662) 518-0723 or visit natcheztracecouncil.org. “Mississippi benefits daily from the service and stature of Sen. Hyde-Smith and we are grateful to her for taking time to lead this fundraising effort for the 22-county Natchez Trace Council of the Scouting program in Mississippi. From her position on the U.S. Senate committees on Appropriations and Agriculture, Sen. Hyde-Smith’s ability to serve Mississippi
and the nation is formidable,” said Natchez Trace Council president Sid Salter of Starkville. “Cindy is an outstanding public servant and a role model for youth who flourish in Scouting. This is an opportunity to recognize Sen. Smith and support Scouting in our local communities from the Tennessee line to the Golden Triangle.”
The Champion for Scouting Award is presented to individual community leaders who
provide outstanding civic service to the communities that offer the Scouting program to
Mississippi youth. Those who receive the award are not necessarily Scouting volunteers, but rather individuals who personify what Scouting stands for – good citizenship, outstanding dedication to serving others, and living their lives by the principles of Scouting. The Natchez Trace Council serves 22 Northeast Mississippi counties, including both the MSU and Ole Miss campuses.
Former leaders recognized by the Natchez Trace Council include U.S. Sen. Roger
Wicker, author and producer Sam Haskell, former BancorpSouth president Aubrey Patterson, acclaimed author John Grisham, MSU President Mark Keenum, Ole Miss football great Archie Manning, former governors William Winter and Haley Barbour, former U.S. Senators Trent Lott and the late Thad Cochran, former council presidents Felix Black, Henry Brevard, Rob Leake, Bud McCarty, Jack Reed Sr. and J.C. Whitehead, and MSU broadcaster Jack Cristil.
MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.
