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We were gathered in a hangar, a flood of khaki and green; blue and gold; some short, some tall; crawling under the wings of the planes while a guide explained each item’s function; how every part in the plane is important and how they all work in conjunction to produce flight. The guide demonstrated the importance of weight in the plane, shifting the boys from one side to the other of the twin-engine Cessna; as the plane shifted slightly the boys saw first-hand the effects of being out of balance.
Suddenly the hum of another plane carried across the clear May sky and all the Scouts were scrambling to the front of the hangar.
"Is that him?!"
"Is he here yet?"
It wasn’t a pilot or soldier that this group of 40 Scouts was anxiously awaiting, wasn’t a movie nor rock star. They were waiting to meet a different sort of celebrity, one who embodies not only success in his profession, but who also embodies the Scout Oath that they all strive to live. Unfortunately, this plane only held guests for the evening’s events, not the man they were all waiting to see. As the passengers deplaned, the Scouts dispersed dejectedly.
One innovative Scout organized the boys and prepared them for an honor guard presentation for when their hero arrived The older Boy Scouts guided the younger, who in turn helped get the Cubs get in line; like a poster for the Trail to Eagle, they lined up – Tiger Cub to Eagle Scout.
Finally, the loudspeaker blared and the boys scrambled to tuck in shirts, stand up straight, and get ready to meet their hero… Rusty Wallace, NASCAR driver extraordinaire. The winner of 54 races, 36 poles, 189 top-five finishes, 309 top-10 finishes and more than $34 million in winnings after competing in 598 races was in town on a mission for Boy Scouts of America.
Rusty Wallace and his brother, fellow racer, Kenny, descended the plane’s steps into the early May sunshine, and were greeted by eager Scouts whose requests for autographs and pictures filled the air. They mingled, hugged, and signed their way through the sea of Scouts. Despite all the commotion, Kenny and Rusty were smiling and happy — not the false smiles you so often see with celebrities, but radiating genuine pleasure at meeting these Scouts and their families. They made sure that everyone had their questions answered, photos taken, and items signed – at one point Rusty left the group of Scouts and walked over to an older woman in a wheelchair who had been hanging back, clutching a hat and an autograph card. He knelt down to talk to her, autographed her items, and wheeled her over for several photos with both of the Wallace brothers — she was ecstatic and I was truly impressed by this care and concern for each fan.
Soon the crowd receded and Rusty was whisked off to the Tourville Lodge for the second part of the evening – a Friends of Scouting fundraising dinner featuring Rusty as the honored guest.
Donors from around the Southeast gathered at this annual event to spend time with their favorite NASCAR driver and to help the Scouting movement. The room was filled with fans and Scouting supporters, CEOs of national companies mingling with local bankers and businesspersons who together donated more than $100,000 for this single Friends of Scouting fundraiser.
After a hilarious introduction by his brother (complete with impersonation of fellow racer Ward Burton), Rusty took the stage. As he surveyed the room, he spoke about the intrinsic values of Scouting – the skills and values it teaches today’s youth, the way that those values follow through to adulthood. After his speech, he handed out recognition plaques to the top donors and then moved on to dinner — some scrumptious barbecue, donated by Cox Wood. All the while, I was wondering what would motivate this superstar of the racing world to fly to a small town to spend an evening meeting and greeting at a fundraiser, when I found myself in the barbecue line with Rusty, I took the opportunity to find out.
It turns out that while Rusty was never a Scout (he was on the racetrack and in the garage from a very early age), his family boasts several Eagle Scouts, his grandmother was a very active Cub Scout Leader, and his youngest son Stephen was a Cub Scout until he took up the racing trail like his father. He feels strongly about the need to provide guidance and instruction to today’s youth and feels that the Scouting program "occupies our nation’s youth – both their minds and bodies – in a constructive fashion."
"Scouting provides an opportunity for today’s kids to get involved in the world," he continued. "It takes them away from the TV and the video games and puts them in the out-of-doors doing something constructive." He went on to explain that Scouting helps kids set and reach goals, develop skills, and learn about life while having fun. These skills are the same ones that helped him earn his status as a top athlete in NASCAR and a role model to youth everywhere.
Given the frequently poor behavior of top athletes in other sports, Rusty feels that NASCAR drivers offer a much more positive example. "Since NASCAR is a family owned business where everyone knows everyone else, our relationships are based primarily on mutual respect and self respect. Outside of the obvious dangers that substance abuse would cause on the track, we have an obligation to our sponsors, fans, crews, and ourselves to keep ourselves buttoned up and walking straight."
As we moved from barbecue to dessert, we spoke about the rest of Rusty’s world. Not only is he a racing champion, but he also owns several car dealerships in eastern Tennessee and is president of Rusty Wallace Incorporated. He is an avid pilot as well, earning his license in 1984 and, after being certified for jets, recently bought a Lear 31A. As we discussed his various interests, a new image of Rusty Wallace emerged that helps further explain his interest in advancing Scouting.
"Flying requires a great deal of attention to detail and I love it. I also love to go boating and riding ATVs because they allow me to be outside and having fun. Golf is my downtime; I get to be outdoors for a long time and the pace is a great change from the pressures of the track.
" I believe that we all need to diversify in our lives. If we focus too much on one area, whether it is our careers, our hobbies, our friends, whatever, the other areas will suffer. In my life I seek to find a balance between all areas."
Whether he is on the track, at Rusty Wallace Incorporated headquarters, relaxing at his favorite spots in the North Carolina mountains, or on the beaches of the Bahamas, Rusty Wallace is a living celebrity example of the Scout Oath… keeping himself mentally awake, physically fit, morally straight, and doing his best to help others by furthering Scouting in America. |
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