Salt Lake Police Chief Ruben Ortega and Salt Lake City Schools Superintendent Darline Robles were honored Tuesday evening for their support of a Scouting program that serves hundreds of inner-city youths.
The two were presented awards by the Urban Emphasis program of the Great Salt Lake Council, Boy Scouts of America, during a dinner gathering at school district administrative offices.Urban Emphasis was launched four years ago in an effort to provide leadership to and recreational and other activities for youths who have not been involved in Scouting. Scouting provides character-building activities that help youths at risk of gang affiliation, violence, drugs and other criminal activity, Scouting officials say.
"Over the last four years we have involved six elementary schools, the Police Department, the Western Leisure Lab at the University of Utah, several Hispanic organizations and probably six or eight other civic groups," said David E. Halliday, Scout council vice president over relationships.
"We are excited that we have been able to reach more than 2,000 kids who otherwise would not have experienced Scouting," said Halliday, who participated in the program.
Scouting leaders are "excited to see Scouting begin to make some permanent inroads (into the lives of) inner-city youths. It's fun to be in Scouting because it takes us back to where we really need to be in the community."
Off-duty police officers and others serve as leaders of the Scouting units as efforts are made to recruit and train parents and others to provide guidance to youths, said Armando Diaz, who is Urban Emphasis director for the council's Crossroads District.
Council President R. Lawry Hunsaker and Council Executive Marty Latimer presented the awards to Robles and Ortega. The award recipients are members of the council's executive board.
Latimer said he and other council leaders appreciate many years of association with the police department. He recognized the efforts of officers and others who "so faithfully" serve youths. He said the Scouting leaders provide programs that "build self-esteem and self-improvement and assist in suppressing gang activity, drug use and crime. We thank again Chief Ortega for making this dream a reality."
Hunsaker, who has served seven years as council president, commended Robles for her support in providing physical facilities for many of the Scouting gatherings and for instilling enthusiasm among school principals for the program.
He pointed out that the program is also possible because of money raised at the council's annual Holiday Auction and other projects. Funds collected are used to make traditional Scouting programs available at no cost to youths or their parents. That includes free Scouting uniforms, Scouting manuals and attendance at camps and other activities, Hunsaker said.
He said more than 450 youths are now enrolled in Scouting through Urban Emphasis.
"We have other schools (and other programs) asking for the Urban Emphasis and Learning for Life programs, but we are limited on how far we can go because of the lack of money," Hunsaker said before the program began Tuesday evening.