By Jason M.
After three years as a scoutmaster for The Family Foundation School Troop #174, Bruce Hutchison’s hard work has paid off.
On January 14, Hutchison was presented with the Foothills District Scoutmaster of the Year award. The news surprised Hutchison, who said it was quite an honor to have been selected.
He said it was a team effort, and that it would not have happened without the help of former staff member Geoff Westby and Joe Rogalavich, and other staff within the administration.
These people make off-campus trips and activities such as hiking, camping, and snowboarding possible. Hutchison started local Troop #174 to help kids become Eagle Scouts, and invested a lot of time and hard work into his troop.
Hutchison became a scoutmaster because numerous people helped him to become an Eagle Scout, and this is his way of giving back. In the three years Hutchison has led Troop #174, he certainly has. “He’s been a great help to me,” said Andrew A., one of four Eagle Scout candidates. Andrew was in Cub Scouts from kindergarten to 5th grade, and from 5th grade to now he has been a boy scout. He, like others, is very happy for Hutchison and his achievement. “I think it’s amazing,” said Andrew about Hutchison’s award. “I think he deserves it.”
Hutchison has been described as “kind, stern, honest, passionate, and loving, and “a great leader” by Rogalavich. According to Rogalavich, who has been on several trips with him, “Hutchison always does what he needs to do” in regards to trips, plans, and activities.
“Our youth culture is very anti-mainstream” said Rita Argiros, school vice president. Kids would rather “deny themselves in order to fit in.” This culture tends to reject traditional moral values, which are a central part of scouting. “It’s a heroic thing,” said Argiros about scouting, who believes that society has undergone a moral inversion promoted by the media. In her eyes, scouting provides a haven where kids can express who they really are.
At a special pre-lunch ceremony at FFS, Trey Miller, Scout Executive for The Foot Hills District Council, presented Hutchison with his award. “Scouting prepares young men to make ethical choices over their lifetime,” said Miller. According to Miller, Hutchison was chosen because of his dedication the Boy Scouts and his church, because, according to Miller, nominees for the award are not only critiqued on their performance as a Scoutmaster, but on their activities as a whole.
The overall question pertaining to who deserves this award, is are they making a difference in the lives of their scouts, and when Trey Miller was asked if Hutchison lives up to this, he responded, “I definitely believe he does.”
