Jere Ratcliffe
Encyclopedia
Jere Brian Ratcliffe is a retired professional Scouter
in the Boy Scouts of America
who was the ninth Chief Scout Executive
.
, where he met his wife, the former Judy Jones. He was awarded Eagle Scout
in 1955 and as an adult was presented with the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
. After graduating from Wittenberg University
in 1959, he volunteered at the Scout center of the North Florida Council in Jacksonville, Florida
. He decided to make a career as a Scouting professional and attended the National Training School. His first position was as the district executive in the Blue Ridge Council of Greenville, South Carolina
. He was first assigned as a scout executive in 1976, later becoming the Scout executive of the Heart of America Council in Kansas City, Missouri
where he became Chief Soaring Lone Eagle of the Tribe of Mic-O-Say
. He was then the Scout executive for the Chicago Area Council.
Ratcliffe also served as Scout Executive for the former Birmingham (AL) Area Council, circa late 1970s; that council merged with two other councils in the 1990s to form the Central Alabama Council.
. In March 1998, he met in Japan with leaders of the Boy Scouts of Japan to start an exchange program with the BSA. While there, he presented Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto
with the BSA's Silver World Award
. Ratcliffe said Scouting, "is one of the few programs that still focuses on values, and values seem to be a quality many of our young people lack today".
In October 1998 he received the Order of the Arrow
Distinguished Service Award. The year before, in April 1997, Ratcliffe was arrested at Miami International Airport when the security scan showed he had inadvertently left a handgun in his luggage.
During his tenure, Ratcliffe created the Nationally Coordinated Endowment Emphasis to increase the level of endowment giving to local councils. He also created the James E. West Fellowship, the 1910 Society, and the Founders Circle to focus on endowments. These efforts effectively doubled local council endowments and allowed National to direct funds to major improvements in the high-adventure bases. Under Ratcliffe's administration, the Operation First Class program, now known as Scoutreach
, was introduced to provide training and develop the resources necessary to serve at-risk youth in urban and rural areas.
and serves on the coordinating committees of the World Organization of the Scout Movement
and the World Foundation.
Scout Leader
A Scout Leader or Scouter generally refers to the trained adult leader of a Scout unit. The terms used vary from country to country, over time, and with the type of unit.-Roles:...
in the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
who was the ninth Chief Scout Executive
Chief Scout Executive
The Chief Scout Executive is the top professional of the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America. In most similar non-profit organizations, this is equivalent to the position of executive director....
.
Background
Ratcliffe grew up in Springfield, OhioSpringfield, Ohio
Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River, Buck Creek and Beaver Creek, approximately west of Columbus and northeast of Dayton. Springfield is home to Wittenberg...
, where he met his wife, the former Judy Jones. He was awarded Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
in 1955 and as an adult was presented with the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
The Distinguished Eagle Scout Award is a distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America . It is awarded to an Eagle Scout for distinguished service in his profession and to his community for a period of at least 25 years after attaining the level of Eagle Scout...
. After graduating from Wittenberg University
Wittenberg University
Wittenberg University is a private four-year liberal arts college in Springfield, Ohio serving 2,000 full-time students representing 37 states and approximately 30 foreign countries...
in 1959, he volunteered at the Scout center of the North Florida Council in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
. He decided to make a career as a Scouting professional and attended the National Training School. His first position was as the district executive in the Blue Ridge Council of Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...
. He was first assigned as a scout executive in 1976, later becoming the Scout executive of the Heart of America Council in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
where he became Chief Soaring Lone Eagle of the Tribe of Mic-O-Say
Tribe of Mic-O-Say
The Tribe of Mic-O-Say is an honor society used by two of the 303 local councils of the Boy Scouts of America, The Heart of America Council and The Pony Express Council; it is not a program of the National Council of the BSA...
. He was then the Scout executive for the Chicago Area Council.
Ratcliffe also served as Scout Executive for the former Birmingham (AL) Area Council, circa late 1970s; that council merged with two other councils in the 1990s to form the Central Alabama Council.
As Chief Scout Executive
On February 1, 1993, Ratcliffe accepted the position of the Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and moved to the organization's national headquarters in Irving, TexasIrving, Texas
Irving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated...
. In March 1998, he met in Japan with leaders of the Boy Scouts of Japan to start an exchange program with the BSA. While there, he presented Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto
Ryutaro Hashimoto
was a Japanese politician who served as the 82nd and 83rd Prime Minister of Japan from January 11, 1996 to July 30, 1998. He was the leader of one of the largest factions within the ruling LDP through most of the 1990s and remained a powerful back-room player in Japanese politics until scandal...
with the BSA's Silver World Award
Silver World Award
The Silver World Award is a distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America . It is presented for noteworthy and extraordinary service to youth on an international basis. Recipients must be a citizen of a country with a Scouting program that is a member of the World Scout Conference...
. Ratcliffe said Scouting, "is one of the few programs that still focuses on values, and values seem to be a quality many of our young people lack today".
In October 1998 he received the Order of the Arrow
Order of the Arrow
The Order of the Arrow is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America . It uses American Indian-styled traditions and ceremonies to bestow recognition on scouts selected by their peers as best exemplifying the ideals of Scouting. The society was created by E. Urner Goodman, with the...
Distinguished Service Award. The year before, in April 1997, Ratcliffe was arrested at Miami International Airport when the security scan showed he had inadvertently left a handgun in his luggage.
During his tenure, Ratcliffe created the Nationally Coordinated Endowment Emphasis to increase the level of endowment giving to local councils. He also created the James E. West Fellowship, the 1910 Society, and the Founders Circle to focus on endowments. These efforts effectively doubled local council endowments and allowed National to direct funds to major improvements in the high-adventure bases. Under Ratcliffe's administration, the Operation First Class program, now known as Scoutreach
Scoutreach
The Scoutreach Division of the Boy Scouts of America emphasizes service to rural and urban areas and to minority populations. The African American Focus works with African American populations in partnerships with the NAACP, various the African American churches and other groups...
, was introduced to provide training and develop the resources necessary to serve at-risk youth in urban and rural areas.
Retirement and later years
Ratcliffe received a retirement benefit of $2.6 million when he retired in May 2000. He received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree from Wittenberg in 2004. Ratcliffe currently lives in Southlake, TexasSouthlake, Texas
Southlake is a city in northeast Tarrant and southeast Denton counties, Texas. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 26,575. A suburb of Fort Worth and Dallas, Southlake is known for exemplary public schools, Southlake Town Square, and Carroll High School's 7-time state champion football...
and serves on the coordinating committees of the World Organization of the Scout Movement
World Organization of the Scout Movement
The World Organization of the Scout Movement is the Non-governmental international organization which governs most national Scout Organizations, with 31 million members. WOSM was established in 1920, and has its headquarters at Geneva, Switzerland...
and the World Foundation.