Mineola resident Steven Grosskopf was recently elected president of the Theodore Roosevelt Council, Boy Scouts of America. The council, which is one of the oldest and largest in North America, represents every boy, cub and venture scout in Nassau County or 10,500 boys ages 7 through 20 and girls aged 14 through 20. It also owns and operates two large, year-round scout camps in the Catskill Mountains and on eastern Long Island.
A 40-year member of Boy Scouting and Scoutmaster of Troop 45 in Mineola for nearly half of that time, Grosskopf, 60, is responsible for helping to establish and implement the mission of the council, including: senior personnel management decisions; strategic planning; crisis management; ensuring both the council’s financial stability and the quality of its Scouting programs; and fundraising.
“For more than a century, Boy Scouts have served their communities and nation in ways both large and small,” Grosskopf said.
By sponsoring many practical mental, physical and social activities designed to promote citizenship, self-responsibility and self-esteem, scouting develops youngsters confidence in their ability to deal with nature, society and an increasing challenging world.
“I wish every boy, as well as young man and woman, in Nassau County can have the advantage and honor of being a Scout,” he said. “One of my goals as the leader of Theodore Roosevelt Council is to ensure that opportunity is available to everyone.”
In his 40 years of Scouting service, Grosskopf has held nearly every volunteer position on the cub, troop, district and council level. In addition to his council presidency, Grosskopf will continue to serve as scoutmaster of Troop 45, in his home community. In his private life, he has distinguished himself in a successful career in corporate audiovisual design, planning and senior management consulting, and is currently a vice president of Colortone Audio Visual in White Plains.
When Nassau County’s Boy Scout Council, which is now named after the 26th president of the United States was established in 1917, Roosevelt, who lived in Oyster Bay, was no longer the nation’s chief executive. However, as an avid outdoorsman and great citizen, he was keenly interested in the principles and ideals of the growing boy scout movement, which began in the U.S. 10 years earlier.
Roosevelt joined Boy Scouting and became a committeeman of Troop 39 in his hometown of Oyster Bay. In 1917, he became Nassau County’s first Boy Scout Council Commissioner. He also was elected honorary vice president of the Boy Scouts of America and became the first and only man designated as Chief Scout Citizen.
“I am proud and humble to be chosen to carry on the heritage and tradition established right here in Nassau by this great American,” said Grosskopf. “A number of our nation’s leaders have said the first test of democracy is that each individual shall have the opportunity to take that position of leadership in the community to which his/her character, ability and ambition entitle them. Thus, the progress of our country is directly related to the training in leadership we can give our youth. Scouting, time and again, has shown that it helps fill this role.”
Grosskopf said in addition to the many exciting, year-round programs currently available to Theodore Roosevelt scouts, he is committed to spearheading the council’s role in promoting, teaching and developing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) courses, programs and opportunities and planning major activities and events to celebrate the council’s upcoming centennial anniversary.
