Roy Williams (Scouting)
Encyclopedia
Roy Williams is the former Chief Scout Executive
of the Boy Scouts of America
. He is the tenth person to hold that position, serving between 2000–2007.
. Following that, Williams served as district executive in Abilene, Texas
, finance director in Little Rock, Arkansas
, scout executive for the Jayhawk Area Council in Topeka, Kansas
, and later the Narragansett Council in Providence, Rhode Island
. He has also served as director of the Boy Scout Division, BSA National Council and most recently, Western region director.
Williams' term as Chief Scout Executive was a very challenging time for the Boy Scouts of America. Shortly after Williams assumed the duties of Chief Scout Executive in 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court
announced its ruling in the Boy Scouts of America v. Dale
case, where the right of the Boy Scouts to exclude known and avowed homosexuals from its membership was upheld. Although initially seen as a major win for the BSA, this decision led to funding issues with several United Way chapters, government entities and more limited recruiting access to schools.
Membership in the BSA's traditional programs (Boy Scouting, Cub Scouting and Venturing) steadily declined during Williams' tenure. Several Councils, most notably the councils in Dallas, Texas
, Atlanta, Georgia
and Birmingham, Alabama
were embroiled in charges of false membership claims.
Williams announced his retirement on February 7, 2007, which was effective September 1, 2007. His successor, Robert J. Mazzuca
, was named on May 22, 2007.
Williams graduated in 1971 from the University of Texas at Arlington
with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force
. Williams was a scout while a youth in Dallas, Texas.
and a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow
. He is a recipient of the Order's Distinguished Service Award
The Nonprofit Times, a publication covering the field of nonprofit management, named Williams as one the nation's top 50 outstanding leaders of nonprofit organizations for 2005.
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....
of 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...
. He is the tenth person to hold that position, serving between 2000–2007.
Scouting career
Selected in the spring of 2000 as Chief Scout Executive, Roy Williams began his career with the Boy Scouts of America as a district executive in Fort Worth, TexasFort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
. Following that, Williams served as district executive in Abilene, Texas
Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
, finance director in Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
, scout executive for the Jayhawk Area Council in Topeka, Kansas
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
, and later the Narragansett Council in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. He has also served as director of the Boy Scout Division, BSA National Council and most recently, Western region director.
Williams' term as Chief Scout Executive was a very challenging time for the Boy Scouts of America. Shortly after Williams assumed the duties of Chief Scout Executive in 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
announced its ruling in the Boy Scouts of America v. Dale
Boy Scouts of America v. Dale
Boy Scouts of America et al. v. Dale, , was a case of the Supreme Court of the United States overturning the New Jersey Supreme Court's application of the New Jersey public accommodations law, which had forced the Boy Scouts of America to readmit assistant Scoutmaster James Dale...
case, where the right of the Boy Scouts to exclude known and avowed homosexuals from its membership was upheld. Although initially seen as a major win for the BSA, this decision led to funding issues with several United Way chapters, government entities and more limited recruiting access to schools.
Membership in the BSA's traditional programs (Boy Scouting, Cub Scouting and Venturing) steadily declined during Williams' tenure. Several Councils, most notably the councils in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
and Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
were embroiled in charges of false membership claims.
Williams announced his retirement on February 7, 2007, which was effective September 1, 2007. His successor, Robert J. Mazzuca
Robert J. Mazzuca
Robert J. Mazzuca is the Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America. He is the eleventh person to hold that position, with his term starting in 2007.-Early life and family:...
, was named on May 22, 2007.
Williams graduated in 1971 from the University of Texas at Arlington
University of Texas at Arlington
The University of Texas at Arlington is a public research university located in Arlington, Texas, United States. The campus is situated southwest of downtown Arlington, and is located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. The university was founded in 1895 and served primarily a military...
with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. Williams was a scout while a youth in Dallas, Texas.
Honors and awards
Williams is a Chieftain in the Tribe of Mic-O-SayTribe 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...
and a Vigil Honor member of 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...
. He is a recipient of the Order's Distinguished Service Award
Distinguished Service Award (OA)
These are recipients of the Order of the Arrow 's Distinguished Service Award . See Honors and awards of the Order of the Arrow for a description of the DSA.-Recipients:...
The Nonprofit Times, a publication covering the field of nonprofit management, named Williams as one the nation's top 50 outstanding leaders of nonprofit organizations for 2005.
Footnotes
- (September 2005). Business publication names BSA Chief Scout Executive Roy Williams one of 50 top leaders of nonprofit organizations. Scouting Magazine.