From the Tennessean:

BRENTWOOD — Billy Jim Vaughn, the beloved leader of the oldest Boy Scout troop in Middle Tennessee and one of the oldest continuously chartered troops in the United States, died on Saturday. Vaughn, 97, leaves behind his wife, Joy, of the Brentwood Fire Department, a daughter, two stepsons and two stepdaughters, eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren — not to mention more than 2,500 young men who passed through Boy Scout Troop 1 in the 74 years he was its leader.

Vaughn was a direct connection to the origins of scouting in Middle Tennessee.  He became a member of Troop 1 in 1926. In 1935, at age 23, Vaughn took over the troop from its founding scoutmaster, Curtis B. Haley. Haley had founded Troop 1 in Nashville on July 3, 1910. Years later Vaughn described Haley as “the epitome of what I want my life to be like,"

In 2002, one day short of his 90th birthday, a statue in his honor called the “Lone Scout” was unveiled on the Hillsboro Road grounds of the Middle Tennessee Council, Boy Scouts of America.

December 10, 2009 7:00 - 7:30 PM Central

By now, we hope you have heard about BSA's Dec. 10 100th Anniversary audiocast kick-off rally! These are exciting times! And, this will be our chance to get everyone pumped up and energized for the celebration. If you have already responded, thank you!

If you haven't had a chance to RSVP... want another reason to tune-in on Dec. 10th? During the audiocast the BSA will give away:

• Two tickets to Gala Twenty-Ten, a very special and elegant 100th Anniversary event in Washington, D.C. on February 9, 2010. One night's hotel stay is included.

• A signed, limited and special edition print of Joseph Csatari's 100th Anniversary painting.

• A specially packaged, limited edition U.S. Mint commemorative coin honoring BSA's 100 years.

All once-in-a-lifetime prizes. But, to be eligible you must be signed-up and switched-on during the audiocast rally! You don't have to go any further than your own computer. All you have to do is register and then listen-in at: http://audiocast.scouting.org

We don't want anyone to miss out, and we hope this will be the largest virtual gathering in BSA history. Help us spread the word! Pass this along to friends, family, and other Scouting enthusiasts who should be part of our historic 100th Anniversary celebration. If you have a previously scheduled Scout meeting at the audio-cast time on December 10th - consider making the rally part of the meeting agenda. Join in as a group … but, make sure individuals register for the prizes!

"See" you on December 10th!