Turning regret into gain

Since childhood, much of Ross Kelsey’s life has been linked to Boy Scouts, in one way or another.

He has been a Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Webelos den leader, scoutmaster, Boy Scouts of America National Council district commissioner and Friends of Scouting chairman. Currently, he volunteers as vice president in charge of programs for the Verdugo Hills Council in Glendale.

There is only one part missing from Kelsey’s life of Scouting activities. He was never an Eagle Scout.

“It’s something I regret more than I can ever put into words,” Kelsey said

After capturing 20 of the 21 required merit badges for Eagle eligibility, Kelsey lost focus before his 18th birthday — the cutoff date for a Boy Scout to achieve his Eagle Scout rank. He said he got lazy and became too interested in “girl scouting” and cars in his late teens.

He was also frustrated because the council approved an Eagle for a fellow Scout who Kelsey felt did not deserve one.

Kelsey looks back on his decision as one of the biggest blunders of his life, but he has learned a valuable lesson from his mistake.

“It has made me more motivated,” he said. “And I’ll never slack off again to achieve my goals.”

As a scoutmaster, Kelsey also used his misjudgment as an example to motivate older Scouts to achieve their Eagle rank, said John Corrigan, a fellow scoutmaster and friend of Kelsey’s.

“He was always very good at making sure Scouts had the opportunity to get [their Eagle] when they get older and got close,” Corrigan said. “He would keep them on that path of pursuing it.”

Kelsey took a long time off from Scouting after turning 18, but his sons, Michael and Daniel, turned him back onto the idea of getting involved years later. After his sons’ first three years in Cub Scouts, Kelsey joined in as their Webelos den leader for two years. Then, he became their cub master for Pack 360.

After his boys made the jump to Boy Scouts, Kelsey served as scoutmaster for Troop 319 for five years. As a scoutmaster, Kelsey ran troop meetings, taught leadership to his Scouts and helped boys understand the meaning of community service.

He became a man many boys looked up to, said Josh Gardner, one of Kelsey’s Eagle Scouts.

“He was a mentor, a leader,” Gardner said. “He helped encourage us and guide us along. He kept our interest strong toward getting our Eagle award with me and my fellow Scouts.”

Being scoutmaster for Troop 319 was very special for Kelsey, he said. Not only did he guide 17 Scouts, including his two sons, to their Eagle status, but he also developed lifelong friendships with parents who helped him run one of the most recognized Boy Scout troops in the Western region, he said.

“The troop was awesome. I felt like I was king of the hill,” Kelsey said. “We accomplished so much. Not only did the boys get the leadership aspect out of Scouting and community service, but they got true adventure.”

Under Kelsey, Troop 319 canoed the Russian River, Sacramento River and Colorado River, rock climbed in Yosemite National Park, fished in the Sea of Cortez and participated in bicycling and backpacking trips across Southern California.

In 2002, Kelsey stepped down as scoutmaster and joined the council to serve as district commissioner, where he kept each unit in his district apprised of council matters. After one year, the council moved Kelsey to chairman for Friends of Scouting, a fundraising commission for the program.

Kelsey took over as vice president in charge of programs in 2004, a position he has held ever since. As vice president, the former scoutmaster gets most excited about working with the activities committee. Through his efforts, the committee has helped set up many programs for Scouts, including a rocket academy, a bike rodeo, a Ten Commandment Hike and camping activities such as archery and arts and crafts.

After years of dedication, Kelsey remains as passionate as ever about Scouts, said Dede Mueller, chairman of the advancement committee.

“He lives and breathes Scouts,” she said. “He’s very outstanding and he believes in Scouts tremendously.”

Although he fell one badge shy of an Eagle, Kelsey believes there is always room for him and other adults in Scouts, because Boy Scout Law applies to adults as well as children, he said.

“I try and live my life today by those laws, and try and convey to everybody else that you can find a way to live by them,” he said. “So I figure I will always have some part in Scouting.”