NEW YORK, N.Y. (October 28, 2009)–The Greater New York Councils, Boy Scouts of America, will honor Rex W. Tillerson, chairman and chief executive officer of ExxonMobil Corporation, at its 2009 Eagle Scout Hall of Fame Induction on Monday, November 2, at the Hilton New York. This annual event honors Eagle Scouts who have made significant contributions to society. Eagle Scouts previously inducted into the Hall of Fame include New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Marriott International Chairman and CEO J. W. Marriott Jr., and John C. Whitehead, chairman of the Goldman Sachs Foundation, who will serve as honorary chairman of the event.
Tillerson’s father was a BSA executive, and Tillerson is a member of the BSA’s National Executive Board. He is slated to become the organization’s president in 2010. Tillerson has said, “I think the highlight of my youth and adolescent years were my achievements in Scouting,” and “Scouting has always been a part of my life. I continue to believe that it’s the best thing going for young men today.”
As an Eagle Scout, Tillerson attained the highest rank in the merit-based Scouting program, a distinction that only about 5 percent of Scouts can claim. Requirements include earning at least 21 merit badges and demonstrating Scout spirit, service, and leadership, including an extensive leadership service project that the Scout plans, organizes, leads, and manages. Prominent business and political leaders having earned the Eagle rank include astronaut Neil Armstrong, President Gerald Ford, Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, and journalist Walter Cronkite.
Three Eagle Scouts from Staten Island’s Troop 21 will be recognized at the event for their efforts to rescue a woman from her burning home earlier this year. They employed their Scout training in a lifesaving attempt and are being presented the BSA’s Heroism Award for their selfless actions.
The Greater New York Councils serves tens of thousands of young people in New York City through a variety of youth development programs that promote character, leadership, and life skills, including substantial outreach to boys and girls in the most disadvantaged communities of the five boroughs. Hundreds of thousands of community service hours are logged annually by Scouts and the almost 6,000 adult volunteers in New York City.
The Boy Scouts of America will celebrate its 100th Anniversary on February 8, 2010, with prominent national and local highlight activities to honor Scouting’s service to our country and more than 100 million youth in the past century. Local highlights include Scouts ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on February 8, 2010, a citywide service day on April 24, 2010, and a New York City Scout weekend from July 30 through August 1, 2010, with a Times Square celebration on July 31, 2010. Additional engagement programs are planned, and national highlights include a partnership with Major League Baseball and U.S. Mint production of BSA Centennial commemorative coins.
ExxonMobil is the world’s largest publicly traded international oil and gas company. Tillerson assumed the top position on January 1, 2006. More information on ExxonMobil Corporation is available at www.exxonmobil.com.
About the Boy Scouts of America
Serving nearly 4.1 million youth between the ages of 7 and 20, with more than 300 councils throughout the United States and its territories, the BSA is the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. The Scouting movement is composed of 1.2 million volunteers, whose dedication of time and resources has enabled the BSA to remain the nation’s leading youth-service organization.
For more information on the BSA, please visit www.scouting.org. For more information on Scouting in New York City and the Eagle Scout Hall of Fame Induction, please visit www.bsa-gnyc.org. For more information on the Boy Scouts of America’s 100th Anniversary Celebration, visit www.scouting.org/100years.
Press Contact:
Emily Schnure
Greater New York Councils
212-651-2874
eschnure@bsamail.org