Eugene Hoitt, 19, of Manassas, VA has been inducted into the National Youth Leadership Society Class of 2016 by the Boy Scouts of America. Less than ten Scouts and Venturers in the Washington, DC Metro Region have been awarded this very rare recognition.
Unlike more familiar Scouting awards such as the Eagle Scout award, the National Youth Leadership Society is managed through the national office of the Boy Scouts of America and relies upon nominations from Boy Scout councils in the local communities. Nomination criteria include earning the highest awards in Scouting. Hoitt earned the Eagle Scout award and the Silver Award, capstone awards from both the Boy Scout program as well as the Venturing Program. In addition, nominees must take considerable amounts of leadership training, and give back to their fellow Scouts through serving in multiple leadership roles. It is the aim of the National Youth Leadership Society to recognize the youth members of the BSA who have provided elite levels of leadership skills and selfless service to others.
Hoitt’s journey towards this nomination stretch back nearly a decade ago when he first became a Boy Scout in 2007 and took on his first leadership position, Patrol Leader in Troop 1182 in Manassas. Later he served the troop as their Senior Patrol Leader and Junior Assistant Scoutmaster. He currently serves the troop as a member of their Troop Committee.
In addition, he helped form Venturing Crew 617 in Manassas. Unlike the more familiar Boy Scouting program, Venturing is open to boys and girls ages 14-20. It is also entirely youth led. Hoitt served as the President of Crew 617 in 2012, and the President of the Bull Run District (northern Prince William County) in 2013. In that year he also served as the Area Vice President where he supported a territory which includes Northern Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Eastern Pennsylvania and the United States Virgin Islands. Currently, he serves as the incumbent council Youth President of the National Capital Area Council’s Venturing Officer Association, and is a member of the Council’s Executive Board.
When he is not Scouting, Hoitt is an avid fan of history, he is currently in his final year at Northern Virginia Community College where he is vigorously been pursuing a degree in education. Hoitt hopes to leverage the leadership experience he’s learned through Scouting to help make history come alive to the students of tomorrow.
