New Face of Scouitng?

[CNYScouter]

The passing of Gerald Ford reminded me of a promotional commercial he did for the BSA either while he was President or shortly after.

 

With the postings about updating Scouting got me to thinking about what public figure that is popular today would make a good spokesperson for the BSA.

 

I dont think that last couple of Presidents fit into this and it seems that many of todays athletes are into the Bad Boy image.

I cant think of any Hollywood types that fit the image either.

 

I like the idea of promoting Scouting using the extreme sports angle but dont see many people involved in these sports that represent the values of the BSA.

 

I can only think of a couple of names that might have the image that the BSA would want to portray

 

From the NFL:

Payton Manning?

Donavan McNabb?

 

Maybe a NASCAR driver? Kurt Busch?

Apollo Ohno, the Olympic speed skater?

 

Or maybe we dont need a spokesperson at all?

 

 

 

 

 

[OldGreyEagle]

Well, Donald Rumsfeld is available as well as Michael Moore, maybe a series of commercials similar to the PC/Macintosh series would be interesting. They could each do a quick retrospective of their lives, and then say, but we are both Eagle Scouts! The ad ends with the new slogan, Scouting, Something for Everyone... Really!

[local1400]

Isn't Steven Spielberg an Eagle?

[OldGreyEagle]

Yes, he is, but he also resigned from the National Board until such time as Scouting resolves its' "membership issues"

[local1400]

Ooops! Sorry OGE-- I think I know what you mean. I try not to dally into politics too much. Okay then, Neil Armstrong? Do any 14 year olds even know who Neil Armstrong is?

[CNYScouter]

I knew about Spielberg and wasnt sure about Moore due to his political leanings to the left.

 

I saw that Donald Rumsfeld is an Eagle but I am not sure how many Scout age kids know who he is and was trying to come with someone that the youth could relate to.

 

I have to say that as a kid that Gerald Ford wasnt the coolest guy to promote Scouts, but he was the President (which I guess was pretty cool in itself) and everyone knew who he was.

 

OGE-I like the series of commercials similar to the PC/Macintosh series idea.

 

Perhaps these commercials could be done by highlighting non-famous Eagles and Scouts who have achieved success in their field and how Scouting helped them achieve that success.

 

[epalmer84]

Unlike a lot of other lists of Eagle Scouts, everyone on this list has been verified:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_notable_Eagle_Scouts_%28Boy_Scouts_of_America%29

 

Neil Armstrong was one of my heroes when I was young, and I never knew he was an Eagle Scout.

 

Ed

[Eamonn]

Back when I was a Scout in England it seemed that the qualifications to be Chief Scout in the UK, were that you had to have a title. (Lord someone was a big help!) And you had to look good in a kilt.

Sadly even though I have great looking knees, the Queen seems to have by-passed me when it comes to mentioning my name on the honors list.

When the post became vacant a couple of years back, they choose a guy who had been a host of a Saturday morning TV show aimed at teenagers and had earned a name for himself for being an "Action man."

Since becoming Chief Scout, he has introduced celebrity soccer games played at Gilwell Park.

Youngsters know who he is and have some idea what he stands for.

I wonder how many of our BSA Scouts could name any one from the National key 3?

I can't help thinking that here in the USA, we seem more concerned about pulling in corporate dollars than having people in office that anyone really knows.

If that is a good or bad thing? I really don't know!!

Eamonn.

[beasties mom]

As I was reading this the mention of NFL players and I remembered my boys being very excited that one of the players in the 2006 Hall of Fame class thanked his Boy Scoutmaster. The players name is Rayfield Wright he played for the Dallas Cowboys 1967-1979. NFL Football Hall of Fame and Scout! Maybe a public image that boys could admire. Just a thought.

[MarkS]

I've seen pix on the Internet of actor Ethan Embry (White Squall, That Thing You Do) wearing a BSA field uniform shirt with both religious and Eagle knots. Check out www.imdb.com for the pix but I don't know if it is authentic.

[local1400]

Ed Palmer-thanks for that link to Eagle scouts. I perused over the list and I just knew you couldnt go wrong with an astronaut. However, I was surprised to learn Marion Barry was an Eagle! I enjoy Mike Rowes tv show "Dirty Jobs" and I find him to be a likeable personality.

[Fuzzy Bear]

I would pick older men with experience, that are likeable and are generally recognized by Scouts, Scouters and many in the community as spokesmen for the BSA. My top picks would be John Tesh, Chan Gailey and William H. Gates Sr. (*In that order)