I wasn't raised in Scouting.
Scouting found me.

I grew up in a small rural farm town in northwest Ohio, the son of two blue-collar factory workers and hobby farmers. I was the middle child between two sisters, and much of my childhood was spent outdoors—in the woods, around campfires, learning by doing and, like most boys, occasionally learning by getting things wrong.

I was never a Scout. In fact, I do not remember there being a Scouting program in my hometown, and no one ever invited me to join.

Years later, after earning a degree in organizational leadership, I was introduced to the Scouting profession through my wife's family. I accepted a position with a small council in Wood River, Illinois, and entered a profession I had not even known existed.

One of the first experiences that stayed with me happened at a Fall Camporee. The theme was Survivor, and a group of first-year Scouts was struggling to set up a primitive campsite.

Their Senior Patrol Leader, an Eagle Scout, instinctively moved to step in and solve the problem for them. Before he could, the Scoutmaster—a seasoned leader and family physician—gently tugged on the back of his shirt and said:

“That's not your job anymore.”

The lesson was simple and profound. Leadership was not about doing the work for others. It was about creating the conditions for them to learn, struggle, grow, and succeed.

In that moment, I understood what made Scouting different. It does not simply talk about leadership. It gives young people the chance to practice it.

Over the years that followed, through different councils, communities, challenges, and opportunities, that lesson continued to shape me. I became a student of leadership, relationship building, organizational culture, and the responsibility leaders have to help others become more capable.

My belief today is grounded in those experiences: strong organizations are built by strong people, and strong people grow when leaders trust them, challenge them, support them, and give them room to lead.