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Community and business leaders attend Friends of Scouting breakfast
By Sean Barron
CANFIELD
Jonathan Boyd enjoys studying physics at Kent State University on a full scholarship, but he also isn’t shy about sharing one of the core experiences that paved his educational path.
“Self-leadership is one of Scouting’s main goals,” the KSU sophomore said during Tuesday’s 10th annual Whispering Pines Friends of Scouting breakfast at Camp Stambaugh, 3712 Leffingwell Road. “[Scouting] helped me decide to go to college.”
More than 100 community and business leaders and others attended the breakfast, which was to celebrate Scouting’s impact on the Mahoning Valley and espouse many values and lessons that Scouts learn.
Hosting the 90-minute fundraising gathering was the Whispering Pines District Greater Western Reserve Council Boy Scouts of America.
Boyd, an Eagle Scout from Warren-based Troop 25 who also served on the National Youth Leadership Training program, discussed ways to set and achieve goals. His presentation also focused on team leadership and development.
The event’s keynote speaker was Youngstown State University President Jim Tressel, who spoke on core leadership qualities and the importance of reaching beyond oneself.
“Leadership is not a point you hold; leadership is the action you take to serve others,” he explained.
Tressel outlined five main components that he said make good leaders: taking risks and setting reasonable standards; realizing they’re responsible for their actions; being influenced by and open-minded to others’ ideas and perspectives; refraining from quitting; and having a sense of impending greatness based largely on how they listen to and treat others.
The former YSU Penguins and Ohio State Buckeyes head football coach also recalled occasions in which he read a motivational poem to his players that talked about what people can do to make a positive difference.
Artemus “Art” Scissum, principal of Martin Luther King Elementary School in Youngstown, spoke on the Scoutreach program, which serves students in grades one through five in the Youngstown and Warren city school districts.
Scoutreach emphasizes the importance of treating everyone with respect, following instructions, putting forth one’s best effort and taking pride in one’s school and community, all values that parallel Scouting, Scissum noted.
“We’ve noticed that the students improve their attention, behavior and grades,” he said, adding that the effort also places a high priority on good manners and etiquette as well as the importance of teamwork.
In addition, Scissum said, Scoutreach is helping to instill positive values in the youngsters that will serve them well all of their lives.
Additional remarks came from John Russell, Whispering Pines District’s financial chairman.
Stacia Erdos, the United Way of Youngstown and Mahoning County’s director of resource development, was mistress of ceremonies.