"On My Honor, I will do my best...to help other people at all time" Boy Scout Oath that we could all live by.

The Greater Los Angeles Area Council Boy Scouts of America, hosted their "Good Character Gala" on Wednesday, October 12, 2016 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel at Crystal Ballroom to honor John H. Semcken III for his dedicated service to BSA. Over 200 guests attended the event in support of the Scouting Movement. Keynote speaker is National President of the Boy Scouts of America and Chairman & CEO of AT&T, Randall L. Stephenson, says that he believes the Boy Scouts of America is "one of the best character-building and leadership development organizations in the world. The values of Scouts learn as young men - integrity, selflessness and self-reliance - are fundamental to a strong, healthy society."

A letter from the Council leadership include Gerry Morton (Council President & Board Chair), Steve Craig (Council Commissioner) and Chuck Keathley (Scoute Executive & CEO) re-enforce the mission and goal of the organization. The Boy Scouts of America, Greater Los Angeles Area Council cultivates the leaders of tomorrow by preparing Scouts to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes.

"For over a century, Scouting has instilled strong character attributes and life skills in over 120 million youth, so they may thrive and develop into moral adults and courageous leaders.

Nowhere is this need more critical than the Greater Los Angeles Area where 60% of our families live below the federal poverty line. As the only Council serving the communities of Compton, Watts, South Central, Inglewood, Lynwood, Hawthrone, East Los Angeles, Baldwin Park, El Monte, South El Monte, Pomona, Azusa and Rosemead, it is our mission and vision to bring quality Scouting programs into these challenged neighborhoods. We believe that all youth, regardless of background or the environment in which they grow, have strengths that can be fostered...the council serve over 18,000 youth, leverage the support of 10,200 adult volunteer leaders, and send over 12,000 youth to camp each year, graduated over 500 Eagles in 2015, whose service projects equated to over 105,000 hours of community service..a significant of change since it's merger of two great council into a single outstanding one serving the Greater Los Angeles Area."

The honoree, John H. Semcken, III, a formal Navy air pilot "Top Gun", now a real estate developer, was a Boy Scout growing up and became the troop's bugler in Long Island, New York. It was wonderful to see John again when he was our "Wind Under Their Wings" Eagle Scout Mothers' luncheon keynote speaker last May at the San Gabriel Country Club, which he shown up in his 'Top Gun" uniform & share some of the fun tales when he was selected by the Navy to act as the technical advisor and Navy liaison for the motion picture "Top Gun".

John's sons, Reed & Jack, are both scouts from Troop 355 in San Marino. Semcken has been involved with Greater Los Angeles Area Boy Scouts for almost 20 years, serving on the Board and Executive Committee. In 1977, he received the Distinguished Citizen Award, which is presented to community leaders who provide outstanding civic services to the adult and/or youth in the community. John Semcken understands the powerful impact that Scouting has had on his life, his career, his family and the youth in his community. He believes helping today's youth will help inspire tomorrow's leaders!

Los Angeles County Supervisor from the fifth district Mike Antonovich and a strong supporter to scouting movement presented a proclamation to John Semcken for his outstanding civic service on stage.

As a mother of two Eagle Scouts, my favorite moment of the Good Character Gala last night was hearing an Eagle Scout mom read the story of her son, Antony Cuccuio, and his path towards becoming an Eagle Scout. It was an inspiring story about how he overcame obstacles from a learning disability, illnesses & physical challenges. He succeeded because he believed in the spirit of scouting & never gave up.

I pledged "on my honor I will do my best to help other people at all time...because the joy of living is in the giving!"