I want to recognize my wife, Val, who is here with me today. She did not know me when I was in Scouting, but our marriage has benefited from my Scouting experience for 44 years!  

Last month I had the privilege of shaking the hands of 3,700 Georgia Tech students as they walked across the stage at Commencement to get their diplomas.

When I speak to the graduates, I often tell them a story that the late Gov. Zell Miller used to tell. It was about a turtle. He said that if you are walking down a country road and you see a turtle on a fence post, you can be pretty sure that it did not get there by itself. You are not a turtle on a fence post, but you should remember to thank all of the friends, fellow Scouts, and family members who were part of your journey to this great day of recognition. They share your pride at having reached this pinnacle of Scouting.

And I want to echo Tom’s words about the Atlanta Area Council’s generous sponsors. They are partners with Scouting because they realize that a strong community starts with capable, committed individuals, and they recognize that Scouting is in the business of developing just that kind of person. We salute all the sponsors who help make so many good things possible.

Share Personal Scouting Experience

As I was preparing for today, I reflected on my Scouting experience and how it helped to shape who I am today. One event sticks out in my mind. I was 13 and during each of the two previous summers had spent a week at Camp Nash in Bonner Springs Kansas, a summer camp for scouts. 

At one of our weekly troop meetings my Scoutmaster asked me if I would be interested in working at Camp Nash for the summer. He said that they normally required the Scouts to be 14, but I was tall for my age and had been a Senior Patrol Leader so they might let me apply. 

I applied and for the next three summers I spent 12 weeks living in a tent as a JASM.  There were 12 campsites, and one JASM was assigned to each campsite. Each week a new Troop would come in on Sunday afternoon and stay for the week. The Troops would have adult leaders, a dad who would typically come and stay one or two nights. Seldom did the same leader stay all week.

I quickly realized that try as they might, they didn’t have a clue about what was going on, and came to rely on me, a 13-year-old, to tell them what we should do. I knew where the mess hall was and when we were supposed to be there to eat, I knew that on Tuesday we cooked in the campsite and on Wednesday we had the all-camp campfire, and how the Scouts could sign up for different merit badges. 

It was a heady experience for a 13- or 14-year-old, but it taught me a lot about confidence and leadership and helped me realize that you don’t have to be the oldest or the smartest or the wisest or know exactly what to do or how to do it, but you did need to have confidence. 

Scouting taught me that and many other things that have helped to shape who I am today.

How the values of Scouting impacted my life.

Neither of my parents went to college, and as a first-generation college student, I can honestly say that when I was in your position, I never could have imagined that I would someday be a university president.

Life was more about meeting the everyday challenges of getting through each week with sports, studies, and Scouting.

But in retrospect, it’s become clear to me that the values I learned in Scouting were ingrained in me through the examples of the wonderful adult leaders and my fellow Scouts.

That’s the genius of Scouting. It’s almost magical the way those values work their way into your habits and character, quietly persuading you to take the high road and be better, even though sometime other influences might be pulling you in other directions.

Consider for a moment the Scout Law. A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.

Powerful words that are both inspirational, and aspirational. Notice that nowhere is the word “perfect” found in that list. Because we’re human, it’s challenging to live out all those qualities at every moment, of every day, but they are out there as markers, calling us to strive do better as individuals in our interactions with family, friends, neighbors, classmates, co-workers, and whoever crosses our path.

Although I have never been in the military, I often think that is some ways being a Scout is a little like being a Marine. In the Marine Corps, it’s said, there are no “former Marines.”

The same is true of Scouting. As Eagle Scouts, you will carry those 12 words and the Scout Oath in your memory all your lives, and they will help to guide you, even when you’re not consciously thinking of them.

I am confident that you will also “Be Prepared” and “Do a good turn daily,” because those concepts are now part of your character, as natural as breathing.

In your Eagle projects, you gained experience working as part of a team, overcoming challenges, serving the community, and constantly learning. But the truth be told, that was hardly the first time you had done those things.

Throughout your life as a Scout, you have been practicing those skills, and becoming an Eagle is in many ways the culmination of what you were learning all along. Let me assure you, it won’t be the last time they come into play in your lives.

You will call upon those skills again and again — in your work, your play, your community, and your family — and you will “be prepared” to use them.

Share how you use the values of Scouting in your life as a leader in the community.

A study conducted by Baylor University a few years ago called “Merit Beyond the Badges” found that Eagle Scouts are more likely than men who have never been in Scouting to:

  • Have higher levels of planning and preparation skills, be goal-oriented, and network with others,
  • Be in a leadership position at their place of employment or local community,
  • Report having closer relationships with family and friends,
  • Serve in volunteer organizations,
  • Donate money to charitable groups, and
  • Work with others to improve their neighborhoods

Scouting experiences have been invaluable during every step of my educational and professional career. In my case, those two areas have always been intertwined, and it’s hard to imagine, either consciously or subconsciously not falling back on the values I learned in Scouting.

How Georgia Tech values Eagle Scouts

This past spring we had more than 35,000 students apply for 2,900 spots in the entering freshman class at Georgia Tech. They were all enormously well-qualified, so when our admissions folks are sorting through the many applications they’re looking for differentiators — things that will stand out and help them identify, who among the many students applying are special.

I can tell you without hesitation that being an Eagle Scout is a differentiator. It sends a signal that this is a special individual, one who has learned;

  • How to work hard,
  • How to work with others, and
  • How to set goals and achieve them.

Scouting has had a huge impact on my life and has helped to shape who I am today, nearly 50 years after I attended my Eagle Scout Court of Honor.

I have no doubt it will do the same for you! Congratulations and God speed!

G.P. “Bud” Peterson

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