Trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. As an Eagle Scout, Jeff Strack, president and CEO of Strack & Van Til, strives to live up to these 12 points of the Scout Law every day. Because of his dedication to the community and the Boy Scouts of America, Strack was awarded the Porter County Good Scout Award on Wednesday, April 10 in a ceremony held at the Porter County Expo Center.
“We're honored to have someone of Jeff’s stature as part of the LaSalle Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He epitomizes everything you want to see in a scout, which is why he's being awarded the Porter County Good Scout Award,” said Scout Executive and CEO of Boy Scouts of America John Cary.
When he was in elementary school, Strack began his journey with the Boy Scouts of America as a Cub Scout. Being a Scout jump started his development as a community leader thanks to the many opportunities he was presented through the organization.
“It offered me a lot of great experiences that, looking back now, a lot of my friends weren't exposed to at the time,” Strack said. “Whether it was hiking trips in the Rocky Mountains, traveling to Australia, or just some little things like running your own patrol and organizing campouts, it really helped set the foundation of who I am and developed who I've become as an adult.”
Strack continued with the Scouts into his adulthood. The lessons he’d learned proved integral to his professional success, and others in the community took notice. When it came time for Cary and Barb Regnitz, Porter County commissioner and chair of the Porter County Good Scout Award ceremony, to choose this year’s Good Scout Award winner, the decision was easy.
“Jeff lives his life based on the Scout Oath and Law. He’s very active in the community, and he's well-respected not only in the Scout world but the community as a whole,” said Cary. “That's what really set him apart this year.”
As Strack accepted his award in the traditional Scout neckerchief and hat, he reflected with gratitude upon both the community’s recognition and the role the Boy Scouts of America played leading up to this moment.
“It's a great honor to be recognized by the community, especially the Scouts. Being an Eagle Scout myself many years ago, it's great to be able to give back. The Boy Scouts was an organization that helped develop my foundation growing up and helped me to become the leader that I am today,” said Strack.
On top of recognizing community leaders, the Good Scout Award dinner serves as the LaSalle Council of the Boy Scouts of America’s premier fundraising event. This year, Regnitz proposed a goal of $100,000 supporting the “STEM at Frederickson Park” programming the council offers to the community. Going into the event, local supporters donated over $90,000, with an additional $10,000 being raised during dinner. Before the end of the evening, Strack personally pledged to donate another $2,500, making the grand total for the fundraiser $102,500.
To find your local Boy Scouts of America troop, visit scouting.org.
For more information about Strack & Van Til, visit strackandvantil.com.
