In Memoriam Walt Stephens Walt Stephens, 78, Scout Coordinator for the North Georgia Annual Conference from 2002 to 2013, died Oct. 30, 2020. A 1964 graduate of Morehouse College, and later of Georgia State, Walt devoted a huge amount of his time to Hoosier Memorial UMC and Scouting. Walt formed Buffalo Soldiers Boy Scouts Troop 141 in 1987. He named the Hoosier-based troop after the strong, proud, and fierce Black soldiers who were deployed out west after the Civil War to protect the territories from Native Americans who bestowed upon them the name of the buffalo. He served as Scoutmaster of the troop for 25 years influencing over 1,500 Black youth, many from inner city communities. He taught them discipline, pride, Black history, faith and the true meaning of manhood. He took his troop to 42 U.S. states, including Alaska, Europe, and Africa. As Conference Scout Coordinator, he also helped dozens of Georgia churches start and grow their Scout programs, impacting thousands of youth throughout the state. Walt earned the UM Torch Award from the General Commission on UM Men and the Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts of America. In 1996, the Georgia Secretary of State honored Walt for his dedication and commitment to Scouting and former president and Georgia governor Jimmy Carter awarded him a Citation of Merit. President Clinton invited Buffalo Soldiers Troop 141 to a conference he hosted in Atlanta. 40
In 2001, the Atlanta City Council issued a proclamation recognizing “Walt Stephens Day,” honoring him for “his compassion and loving spirit for promoting pride, academic achievement, unity and commitment among African-American people for the sake of our communities, our young people and our future.” Even when he was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer four and a half years ago, Walt lived life to the fullest every day. He taught Sunday school up until a few weeks before he died, Walt joined Mead Corporation in 1968 during the time of segregation. He became a trailblazing executive, worked there for 33 years, the first Black to become a manager of an international division. Not satisfied with exceling while others were left out or left behind, Walt helped form the group Black Employees Against Discrimination (BEAD) which demanded and negotiated changes within the company in 1970 to address racial discrimination, salary and promotion disparities, and lack of training and advancement opportunities. In 1996, the Georgia Secretary of State honored Walt for his dedication and commitment to Scouting and former president and Georgia governor Jimmy Carter presented him with a Citation of Merit. President Clinton invited Buffalo Soldiers Troop 141 to a conference he hosted in Atlanta. In 2001, the Atlanta City Council issued a proclamation recognizing “Walt Stephens Day,” honoring him for “his compassion and loving spirit for promoting pride, academic achievement, unity and commitment among AfricanAmerican people for the sake of our communities, our young people and our future.” He also received WXIA-TV Channel 11’s Community Service Award. Walt and Rita were married for 52 years and raised two talented children, Swarita Stephens and John Stephens.
