Robert Mazzuca earned his Eagle Scout badge in 1964, and has never stopped scouting. The 62-year-old has risen through the Boy Scouts of America ranks to become the chief executive, overseeing more than 4 million youth members and thousands of adult volunteers. The California native was in Washington this week to celebrate the Boy Scouts of America’s centennial anniversary. He shared with The Examiner by e-mail his thoughts on the organization he loves, and the abiding strength of its values.
Do you consider yourself to be of a specific faith?
I am a person of strong Catholic faith — it’s something I’ve found to be a grounding force throughout my entire life. Virtually every faith is represented in our scouting membership, and so I’d like to focus on this wonderful diversity instead of my personal faith. In scouting, we believe that in order to become your best self, you must believe in something larger than yourself. I find this belief, personally, to be both a source of humility and great inspiration.
Did anyone or any event especially influence your faith or your path in life?
There is a special person in my life that helped steer me back along the scouting trail after my career hit a brick wall. I literally owe this man my career, and I am eternally grateful for his mentoring. Like so many of us experience, at one point in my life, I found myself at a low point, wondering if my achievements were enough, and if I was doing what I was meant to. This person taught me how to win again. He reintroduced me to the reasons why we do what we do in scouting. From that point, I’ve only looked forward and up. This man is now 70 years old and remains deeply committed to scouting. He is still ready to lead more hikes, pitch more tents, and sleep on the ground to help guide these boys along the scouting trail. No matter how old we are, how much we’ve seen, and how much we know, we should be so lucky to have people in our lives who inspire and reinvigorate us when we need it most.
This week marks the 100th anniversary of scouting in America. What is your greatest personal challenge to ensuring the viability of scouting in the next 100 years?
We know that the principals of scouting — leadership, character, community — will always be important in our country. Our challenge is not to abandon what is so great about scouting, but to deliver our programming in ways that continue to excite and engage youth. We recognize that we must be nimble and flexible in the ways we reach out to young people and parents in our increasingly high-tech world. A few examples of how we are doing this today include:
» Scouts now learn how to use GPS units in addition to traditional map-and-compass skills.
» The newest edition of the Boy Scout handbook is available as an iPhone application.
» We regularly communicate to members and the public via Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
The Scout Law says that “a Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.” Which of those qualities do you believe young men today are most lacking, or most in need of?
The Scout Law is intended to serve as a guiding force that helps our membership make ethical choices throughout their lifetime. Living life according to all 12 points of the Scout Law sets a very high bar, and of course, all of us can benefit tremendously from applying each one of the principles in our daily lives.
Having the opportunity to serve the young people of today is one of the greatest joys of my life. If given the chance to speak directly to this generation, I think what I’d tell them is to always be helpful. The impact on our country and world from that level of service would be nearly unimaginable. And, there is so much to be gained personally when we serve others.
At your core, what is one of your defining beliefs?
I believe that every young person in our country deserves opportunities that help him or her achieve their fullest potential.
– Leah Fabel
