John Trevino wanted to be a Boy Scout, but ... he had to work after school to help support his family. He made a promise that when he grew up, he would give back to the community. Trevino did this by forming sports teams at a local park and becoming a Boy Scout leader.

He started his troop in the East part of Houston where 95% of the kids receive free lunch. The boys he talked to wanted to go camping, but joining Boy Scouts was not something kids in their neighborhood did. Also, they did not have money for a uniform. Trevino persevered and formed a troop. At their first camp out, they were the only inner city Hispanic Scouts, and they had no uniforms. They felt shabby and embarrassed, but they still had fun. The community rallied around them to raise funds to buy uniforms. The troop quickly grew to 35 boys. Many of their members would go on to achieve dreams that his poor community hadn't even dared to dream.

Rudy Gonzalez was headed in the wrong direction and his leader showed his another way.

His father was shot and killed at a club while trying to help a relative when Rudy Gonzalez was just six years old. As he grew, his ability to get into trouble grew exponentially. He was hanging out with the wrong crowd, flunking classes and talking back to teachers. He was expelled from one elementary school after another. "I didn't care about anything," Gonzalez recalled. "I didn't care about who I hurt or what I did. I was a bad kid but the people I was hanging out with were all the same."

Gonzalez joined Boy Scouts and Trevino held him accountable for his actions. "Maybe he cares about me," thought Gonzalez. " Kids can tell when someone is honest and sincere and comes from the heart."

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Rudy Gonzalez, District Executive

Life began changing rapidly with the support of his leader and involvement in Boy Scouts. In 1990, he helped save a neighborhood boy from drowning using skills he had learned in Boy Scouts. He was awarded the Honor Medal for Heroism, the Boy Scouts of America's highest lifesaving medal. In 1992, he was picked to be the first Hispanic to deliver the Boy Scouts' report to the nation and meet President George Bush.

Even with his confidence and selfesteem bolstered by so many achievements, Gonzalez had not even thought of college. Trevino had a different plan for him. Gonzalez was accepted to Texas A&M and received scholarships from the Houston Rodeo, Rotary Club, Propeller and of course, the Houston Boy Scouts. All of this was made possible through his experience with Boy Scouts.

After working for several years at a home-building firm, Gonzalez (now 27) took a pay cut to work full time for the Boy Scouts. "It was time," he said "To pay the community back." As a district executive, he coordinates volunteers, works with businesses to raise money and arranges troop-meeting sites.

"Scouting, as a movement, is reaching out to a lot of Hispanic youths. We need Hispanic professionals that can understand the culture, family and kids," said Gonzalez. "You can make a difference in someone's life and the experience will give back to you as well as the community".

Frank Ramirez started as a Cub Scout in the early '60's...

The local Catholic Church sponsored his Cub Scout Pack and his adult leader was Ms. Contreras who was also his 2ndgrade teacher. She taught his den the Cub Scout Promise and Law of the Pack, and instilled in them the importance of always doing your best.

The two things I am most proud about are: the implementation of the slogan !Scouting...Vale la Pena! In an effort to market the Scouting program to Latino communities nationwide (2000), and the production of BSA's first handbook for boys in Spanish (2003).

Ramirez's family moved and he joined the Boy Scouts. Not only did he learn how to tie knots, cook with a Dutch oven, and learn some first aid techniques, but he also learned the importance of responsibility as a youth leader. He was a patrol leader, den chief, scribe, and senior patrol leader. He continued his Scouting trail and became an Eagle Scout.

He had the joy of working at a camp as a swimming instructor. During that summer, he met another person who would influence his life, Chief Runkles who was the camp ranger. Through his friendly demeanor, Chief Runkles instilled in the boys that kindness to all people does go a long way. One of Ramirez's fondest memories was teaching a group of African American Scouts how to swim. On the last day of camp, these children came running up to him to thank him for being their instructor. The appreciation on their faces and the fact that he imparted a life long skill gave him a sense of awe into the empowerment of giving.

Frank Ramirez

His story would be incomplete if he did not mention his father, Joe G. Ramirez. "He was one of the very first Hispanic Americans to work for the Boy Scouts of America as a professional Scouter in the late 50's during a time when it was virtually unheard off for Hispanic Americans to be working as entry-level executives in the organization," said Ramirez. Through his father's perseverance and hard work, he left a legacy of never giving up. Ramirez has followed in his father's footsteps by working for the Boy Scouts for over 18 years. Ramirez shares:

The two things I am most proud about are: the implementation of the slogan ’Scouting ... Vale la Pena! In an effort to market the Scouting program to Latino communities nation-wide (2000), and the production of BSA's first handbook for boys in Spanish (2003). Currently, I am part of a task force looking into combining the sport of soccer with the Cub Scouting program in an effort to reach Latino youth and families in a way not done before.

In 2000, while producing a new video called Que Es Scouting, one of the people interviewed was Archbishop Patrick Flores of San Antonio. After answering a series of questions from the producer, His Excellency ended his remarks by saying, "Les digo con toda alma y con todo mi corazon, Scouting...Vale la Pena" (I tell you with all my heart and soul, Scouting...it's worth the effort).

Peter Velarde began Boy Scouts in 1948 ...

Growing up in a small farming community of mostly Hispanics in Central California, he knew he wanted to do something in life. But, what that something was, he did not know. He began looking at the men around him and saw that the top position was field foreman because of their hire/fire responsibilities. This was not a sufficiently high role model for him.

In the Boy Scouts, he saw a different side to life. Fortunately, the Scout Master was a humble, but honorable Hispanic man, who fought in WWII and taught self-discipline and teamwork. Velarde put his energies into learning everything he could. His troop tested their abilities at the Court of Honors held every three months between other troops from around the county. "I was selected to compete in the Knot Tying contest," said Velarde. " I practiced many hours tying the required knots rapidly and won my event." The troop also practiced Precision Marching even though it was not required. They made quite an impression by marching smartly to their positions while other troops dragged in disorganized. As a result, their troop always won the "Best Troop Award".

"Our camaraderie resulted in our setting high goals for ourselves,' shared Velarde. 'It is amazing to look back on our troop and the success that most of us achieved in later life. My fellow troop members include a naval pilot, a Catholic priest, two engineers, a graphic designer, two high school teachers, and a businessman. Not a single one of our troop ever got into trouble later in life."

The steps to success whether tying knots for a Court Awards or taking risks and not fearing failure were taught and reinforced with the support of a Boy Scout leader.

Velarde continued that, even today, young Latinos do not have the role models or knowledge for a long-term goal. He remembers being asked when he was a college freshman as to what his ambitions were. He responded, "to become a sophomore". People thought that he was kidding, but he was not, because engineering studies were very difficult.

His advice is that, in the absence of a long-term plan, it is important to have a short-term goal leading upwards. For example, upon graduating and going to work as an electronics engineer, his goal was to become the Chief Engineer. After achieving that, he wanted to become the Division Manager, and then Vice-President, etc. Thus the next step may not always be formulated but make sure that it is identified as quickly as possible.

The steps to success whether tying knots for a Court Awards or taking risks and not fearing failure were taught and reinforced with the support of a Boy Scout leader. Velarde imparts, "Ganas (the will to win)alone is insufficient to succeed. One must have a goal to achieve. The goal should be high, and with a plan to achieve it. If it is too high, with no plan, then it is just a 'pipe dream'".