After being selected as our organization’s President and Chief Executive Officer last fall, Roger Krone has been officially commissioned as Chief Scout Executive.
He becomes Scouting America’s 15th Chief Scout Executive, succeeding Roger Mosby, who retired in November.
After the volunteer-led National Executive Board agreed to make Krone a commissioned professional on April 3, Krone was recognized in a ceremony led by Scott Sorrels, Scouting America’s national commissioner, at Philmont Scout Ranch last week.
When Krone was hired to lead Scouting America, he became the fourth person in history who wasn’t already employed by the organization when they assumed the top professional job.
Like Roger Krone, Roger Mosby was originally hired as President and CEO before becoming Chief Scout Executive the following year.
The other two were James E. West, the first Chief Scout Executive and one the BSA’s founders, and Elbert K. Fretwell, who was a professor at Columbia University’s Teachers College when he took the job.
“It is an honor and a privilege to be commissioned,” Krone says. “I believe this helps continue the trust and relationships that the national CSE has with the council Scout Executives.”
What is the difference between “President and CEO” and “Chief Scout Executive”?
Not much.
Though the title is different, the job remains the same. Krone, along with Sorrels and National Chair Brad Tilden, comprise Scouting America’s national Key 3.
President and CEO is the legal title for the leader of the corporation.
Chief Scout Executive is the title of the person who has been commissioned to lead the organization.
For volunteers, the traditional path to earning a “commission” in Scouting involves completing extensive training and other requirements outlined here. Scouting America’s bylaws outline a path to commissioning professionals based upon specific knowledge and Scouting experience.
Only the National Executive Board is allowed to commission the President and CEO.
“The acceptance of a commission to serve as the Chief Scout Executive is one of the most important obligations in … Scouting America,” Sorrels said during the ceremony. “The issuance of a commission represents formal empowerment to perform the duties and undertake the responsibilities of Chief Scout Executive.”
List of BSA Chief Scout Executives through history
Including Krone, there have been 15 Chief Scout Executives in our organization’s 114-year history.
- 1911–1943, James E. West
- 1943–1948, Elbert K. Fretwell
- 1948–1960, Arthur Schuck
- 1960–1967, Joseph A. Brunton Jr.
- 1967–1976, Alden G. Barber
- 1976–1979, Harvey L. Price
- 1979–1984, J. L. Tarr
- 1985–1993, Ben H. Love
- 1993–2000, Jere B. Ratcliffe
- 2000–2007, Roy Williams
- 2007–2012, Robert J. Mazzuca
- 2012–2015, Wayne Brock
- 2015–2020, Michael Surbaugh
- 2020–2023, Roger C. Mosby
- 2023—current, Roger Krone
Top photo courtesy of Luis Feliciano. Roger Krone portrait courtesy of Leidos.
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