Boy Scout Anthony McCowin stood before an audience in Hershey that included Gov. Ed Rendell. His hands, trembling with nervousness, shook the bright orange paper containing his speech.

"Just take your time," the 17-year-old Lancaster boy recalled his scoutmaster, Anthony Fucito, telling him when he rehearsed. "You can do it."

Anthony's speech was about what scouting, and Fucito, 53, of West Lampeter Township, meant to him.

It happened in May 2008 at an event where the Pennsylvania Dutch Council of Boy Scouts of America honored Peggy Steinman, a director of Lancaster Newspapers Inc., for outstanding leadership of youth organizations — particularly the Boys and Girls Club of Lancaster, which hosts Anthony's troop meetings.

Anthony counts the speech as one of his greatest accomplishments and credits Fucito for helping him do it. Fucito's consistent presence has given him a male role model, the boy said.

In turn, Anthony has taught Fucito valuable life lessons through weekly scout meetings, camping and teaching scouting skills, he said.

As Boy Scouts of America prepares to celebrate its centennial in 2010, volunteers, scouts and scoutmasters such as Fucito are sought as nominees for a National Hall of Leadership.

Each of 302 BSA councils, including the local Pennsylvania Dutch branch, and the national office will forward 12 semifinalists to a national judging panel. One inductee will be selected from each council for the honor.

"The intent is to recognize an individual who has impacted lives through scouting," Duane S. Crouse, Pennsylvania Dutch Council development director.

Also planned for the anniversary year are a parade in Washington, D.C., a gathering of Eagle Scouts, and a jamboree. The Pennsylvania Dutch Council will kick off the festivities with a birthday celebration 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, at Hershey Park Arena. All scouts and their families are invited, but preregistration is required. (To register, visit padutchbsa.org. Admission is $5.)

The events and the Hall of Leadership will continue in spite of a furlough of the council's eight staff members, including Crouse, because of diminishing contributions. They will return to work Jan. 4.

"It's not like it was a surprise to anybody," Crouse said. "We put this contingency in place back in June and it became necessary."

In spite of the furlough, Crouse has done a little "unofficial" work to make sure the nominations come in next month.

Crouse, an Eagle Scout, said he doesn't mind because scouting "makes an impact on young men to better themselves.

"Our mission is to help instill values to help them make ethical choices over their lifetime."

Boys are taught to honor the values of the scout law, which requires that they be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent, Crouse said.

In addition to public speaking, Anthony said Fucito taught him how to relate to others, give a speech, cook, use a knife safely, lead other scouts and be responsible.

"I could see myself becoming a scoutmaster because I like scouting," Anthony said. "I'm really into it."

There is a multitude of personal stories demonstrating that Boy Scouts of America is "as relevant today as it was in 1910," Crouse said. "One of our missions with the National Hall of Leadership is to gather those stories … what a great once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share with our scouts and the community what scouting has done."

FOR THE DETAILS
To nominate someone for the National Hall of Leadership, visit tinyurl.com/adhj7a. Nominations close Feb. 8.

For more information about Boy Scouts of America 100th anniversary celebrations, visit tinyurl.com/scout100years.