By John Gordon*

D’IBERVILLE, Miss. (UMNS)–Their red shirts and caps say SEMA, but they are not to be confused with staff of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a federal organization that has been criticized for its sluggish response to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

SEMA stands for Scouting Emergency Management Assistance, a title coined by Boy Scout Troop 566, sponsored by Trinity United Methodist Church in Warner Robins, Ga.

“We’ve come here seven times now,” said Michael Hilton, 13, a member of the Georgia troop that rebuilds homes on the Mississippi Gulf coast.

SEMA’s latest project was to repair homes in D’Iberville, Miss., and to deliver $5,000 worth of equipment to the Waveland, Miss., Fire Department. Continue Reading