Boy Scouts of America GLAAC Business Leaders' Breakfast 2017

The Boy Scouts of America Greater Los Angeles Area Council 2017 Business Leaders' Breakfast was held on Wednesday, March 15 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel Downtown Los Angeles.

The Business Leaders' Breakfast Committee Chair, Janet Braun introduced, "We are thrilled to honor Steve Ballmer, owner of the LA Clippers and former Microsoft CEO, and Jim Ellis, Dean of the USC Marshall School of Business. These two men held a very interesting and engaging 30-minute chat instead of formal speeches for our 460 guests but most importantly, our event raised some much needed funds to support the scouting movement."

Multi-award winning entertainer Dennis McNeil sang the national anthem. He is a highly sought after singer and concert artist known for his golden voice, versatility and Irish charm. He has entertained five United States Presidents, Heads of State, including King of Spain Juan Carlos, Princess Charlene of Monaco, Fortune 500 corporations, leading symphony orchestras, opera companies, charities and private clubs.

GLAAC President & Chairman of the Board Gerry Morton gave a warm welcoming remark, followed with a craft talk by an eagle scout. Christian Hooks, who will be attending Tulane University next fall, from Troop 1323 shared his inspiring story of scouting. Accompanying him was his younger scout brother, Chandler Hooks, and his proud parents, Larry & Qiana Hooks. His dad is the scoutmaster for his troop.

Timothy R. Greenleaf, Executive VP/President-Elect praised the accomplishment of Eagle Scout Christian, "Our mission at GLAAC is to build today's youth into tomorrow's leaders. Through our ScoutReach Program, we assist in the development of units in underserved areas of Los Angeles...we were so proud to hear from Christian Hooks, the first Eagle Scout to come out of Troop 1323 in Crenshaw (South Central LA), who is now on a full scholarship to Tulane (pre-med). Our Pride can only be a far second to that of his parents. Thank you to my wonderful staff and to all who attended, supported and cared about the development of character in today's youth."

Scouting is a family affair, as a mother of 2 Eagle Scouts and 2 Girl Scouts Gold Award myself, I can attest to that!

I can still recall the time when my older son Vincent, shared his scout story a few years ago at "Wind Under Their Wings" - a fundraiser luncheon that usually takes place in May that honors all Eagle Scouts' mothers.

Here are a few snippets from Vincent speech, "My journey first began as a Cub Scout. You know, when my mom first told me that I would be doing Cub scouts I have to say that my first reaction wasn’t excitement. My first reaction was: she just wants to dress me up in those cute little uniforms and take a billion pictures...but the uniform I wore, it meant something...As I moved on with my scouting career, crossing over the bridge of light to become a full Boy Scout...I had to learn a sense of autonomy, the transitional gave ways to many ah ha moments that you stop being a boy and start taking your first steps into manhood...scouting experience shaped my character...that I was a part of something life-altering, something a select few understand, something the world needs more of; accomplishment, triumph, perseverance, trust, and most importantly, the brotherhoods forged in those years with the young boys who will go on to lead this nation."

The Honorees

Steven A. Ballmer is co-chair of the Ballmer Group and owner of the Los Angeles Clippers NBA basketball team. Ballmer retired as Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft in 2014 after leading the company for nearly 14 years. He remains a significant investor.

The Ballmer Group’s philanthropic arm focuses on organizations dedicated to bettering outcomes for children in need and helping reduce the cycle of intergenerational poverty in the United States. They advance these efforts through grant making, investing in system reform, and collaborating with public and private sector partners.

Ballmer also leads USAFacts, a project seeking to improve transparency in government, including disclosing taxes and borrowings raised, money allocated and spent, and outcomes achieved, much as corporations do through their 10-K reports. He is co-teaching a course at Stanford on understanding government budgets and spending

with Professor Mark Duggan, and has taught or lectured on technology, leadership, and innovation at Stanford, Harvard, and the University of Southern California.

Balmer became Microsoft’s CEO in 2000, having served for 20 years in roles as president, senior vice president of sales and support, senior vice president of systems software, and vice president of marketing. He was the Company’s first business manager. During his tenure at Microsoft, the Company pioneered personal computing and democratized enterprise computing, growing from a small start-up to a company that today employs more than 110,000 people. During his tenure, Microsoft grew to almost $80 billion in revenue and was the third most profitable company in the United States.

Balmer grew up near Detroit, where his father worked as a manager at Ford Motor Company. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and economics from Harvard University. Ballmer worked for two years at Procter & Gamble Company as an assistant product manager and attended Stanford University Graduate School of Business before joining Microsoft. He lives with his wife, Connie, and children in the State of Washington.

James G. Ellis was appointed Dean of the USC Marshall School of Business and holder of the Robert R. Dockson Dean’s Chair in Business Administration in April 2007. As Dean, he is responsible for the education of some 5700 students, both graduate and undergraduate. In addition since 1997, he has held a full time appointment as Professor of Marketing in the Department of Marketing.

Prior to being appointed Dean, Ellis was USC Vice Provost for Globalization, responsible for building the USC name worldwide. He also served as the Vice Dean of External Relations at the Marshall School of Business, as well as Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs. He continues to teach the Freshman Leadership Colloquium class.

Holding an MBA degree from the Harvard Business School and a BBA degree from the University of New Mexico, Ellis worked in the corporate world from 1970 to 1997. He served as President/CEO of Porsche Design, a high-end accessories company owned by Europe’s Porsche family, from 1985-1990. From 1990-1997, he was Chairman/CEO of Port O’Call Pasadena, an upscale home accessory retailer, as well as being an owner/partner in six other companies. Ellis currently sits on numerous corporate and non-profit boards of directors.

At USC in 2003, Ellis was awarded both the “Teaching Has No Boundaries Award,” presented by the faculty, and the “Golden Apple Award,” presented by the students. In 2004, he was presented the “Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring Award” by the USC Parents’ Association.

Ellis’ finest achievement is his family. He and his wife, Gail, have five children and ten grandchildren, and live in San Marino, California.

SCOUTING MAKES A DIFFERENCE

A Tufts Study Outcomes Primer - “Scouting Builds Positive Character”

Simple Explanation of Study

Over two-thousand Scouts and non-Scouts participated in a 3 year study designed to better understand character development, as it was happening. In the beginning of the study, there was no significant difference in character attributes between Scouts and non-Scouts.

Study Outcomes

Scout Outcomes

At the end of the Study...

• Scouts showed a four-fold increase in cheerfulness when compared to Non-Scouts.
• Scouts showed a four-fold increase in helpfulness when compared to Non-Scouts.
• Scouts showed a four-fold increase in obedience when compared to Non-Scouts.
• Scouts showed a two-fold increase in kindness when compared to Non-Scouts.
• Scouts showed nearly a three-fold increase in hopefulness when compared to Non-Scouts. Non-Scout Outcomes At the end of the Study...
  • Non-Scouts showed a four-fold decrease in cheerfulness when compared to Scouts.
  • Non-Scouts showed a four-fold decrease in helpfulness when compared to Scouts.
  • Non-scouts did not show any change in their obedience when compared to Scouts.
  • Religious reverence in non-Scouts decreased 11 fold when compared to Scouts. Comparative Outcomes When Compared to Non-Scouts, Scouts showed....
    • Four times more growth in cheerfulness.
    • Nearly three times more growth in hopefulness.
    • Four times more growth in obedience.
    • Twice the growth in kindness.
    • Four times the growth in helpfulness.

Other ways to describe outcomes

• Scouts are significantly more likely to embrace positive social values than non-scouts.
• The more time kids spend in Scouting, the better the outcomes in character development.
• Post study, Scouts were twice as likely to show increased kindness, cheerfulness, trustworthiness and helpfulness when compared to non-Scouts.
• Post study, Scouts were four times as likely to show increased obedience and helpfulness when compared to non-Scouts.
• While Scouts showed a two fold increase in cheerfulness and helpfulness, non-Scouts showed a two-fold decrease in these characteristics. Significant Conclusions: Duty to God Scouts were 11 times more likely to maintain their religious values and practices than non-Scouts. This is especially relevant as most chartered organizations are religious entities. Hopefulness Scouts showed a three-fold increase in hopefulness when compared to non-Scouts. When youth are hopeful about the future, it is proven they are more likely to do well in school, have higher career aspirations and make more thoughtful choices.

Scouting Works. “Helping Today’s Youth Become Tomorrow’s Leaders!”

www.glaacbsa.org join the scouting movement