Potterfields Donate Building to Boy Scouts of America Council

by
posted on December 28, 2021
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Potterfields Donate

MidwayUSA co-founders Larry and Brenda Potterfield have donated a building that will soon serve as the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), Great Rivers Council office and activity center. The official ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on Dec. 15, although the decision to help the organization was quietly announced last year.

“This building has served us well but is no longer a part of our future,” said Larry Potterfield, MidwayUSA founder and executive chair of board of directors. “We are fortunate and pleased to be able to donate it to one of our favorite organizations.” 

The Potterfields announced their decision to donate the Lincoln Building during a scouts board meeting in 2020. MidwayUSA’s customer support operations—former occupants of the 13,000 sq.-ft. building—recently moved to the company’s new distribution center.

Plans are to move the council office and Scout Shop to the Lincoln building on the MidwayUSA campus and utilizing the open space nearby for the organization’s programs and activities. Council leaders said they envision the opportunity to create a program center for youth that could include a climbing wall, invention lab and many other activities.

“The Great Rivers Council, Boy Scouts of America is excited to receive this transformative gift,” said Scout Executive John Fabsits. “We are elated Larry and Brenda Potterfield considered the mission, programs, and activities of the BSA when contemplating who should benefit from this donation. This contribution not only works into our strategic plan, but allows us to expand our vision for the future in ways we did not consider possible.”

The Potterfields established MidwayUSA as a small gun shop in 1977, but it has grown into one of todays largest on-line and mail-order outlets specializing in shooting, hunting and outdoor-related gear. That growth is due, in part, to the family values that laid the firm’s foundation more than four decades ago.

Latest

French Charleville Ihtog 1
French Charleville Ihtog 1

I Have This Old Gun: The French Charleville Musket

One of the most important military arms ever made, the French Charleville musket saw use in the American Revolution and armed French troops throughout the Napoleonic Wars.

CVA Endura Series: The Modernized Muzzleloader Of 2025

CVA built on the success of its Paramount muzzleloader to create the Endura, a design that the company calls "the most advanced muzzleloader series CVA has ever built."

Review: FN 15 Guardian

FN America has sought to bring its legendary quality and reliability to an AR-15 that lists for just $999, and we believe that it has done this well with its 15 Guardian carbine.

Springfield Armory Hellcat Now Available In .380 ACP

Despite the extensive number of Hellcat models in its lineup, Springfield Armory has only offered the pistol in one chambering, 9 mm Luger, until now. The .380 ACP model offers similar capabilities with softer recoil.

Arms Of The Mail Guard Marines

While difficult to imagine today, brazen armed thefts of the U.S. Mail in the 1920s became all too common and beyond the abilities of mail personnel to handle. Enter the U.S. Marines—armed to the teeth.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 13, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.