GreaterGREATER Los Angeles Area LOS Council ANGELES Boy Scouts AREA of America COUNCIL BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA 2018 GOOD CHARACTER2018 GOOD CHARACTER GALA GALA HONORING REVEREND CECIL L. MURRAY REVEREND MARK E. WHITLOCK, Jr. Wednesday, September 2 7, 20 I 7 The Langham Huntington, Pasadena MILLENNIUM BILTMORE HOTEL THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2018 LOS ANGELES, CA Dear Friends, Tonight, we celebrate the 2018 Good Character Gala of the Greater Los Angeles Area Council, Boy Scouts of America (GLAAC). It is our honor to recognize two of our community’s most iconic leaders, Reverend Cecil Murray and Reverend Mark Whitlock. Both of our honorees truly exemplify the qualities prescribed in the Scout Oath and Law—including “A Scout is Reverent.” is proud to support Reverend Cecil Murray is the Chairman of the USC Cecil Murray Center and retired Pastor of the First The Greater Los Angeles Area Council African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles, California. Reverend Mark Whitlock currently serves as the Executive Director of the USC Cecil Murray Center and is the Pastor of the Christ Our Redeemer Boy Scouts of America A.M.E. Church in Irvine, California. honoring The GLAAC serves one of the largest and most diverse populations in America. Our youth come from a Rev. Cecil Murray & Rev. Mark Whitlock wide range of ethnic, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. Many of our youth live at or below the poverty line. The proceeds from this evening’s Gala will enable us to sustain and create opportunities for all youth and their families to join Scouting’s character-building program. The Kennedy Wilson family commends the Boy Scouts of America for their educational programs for boys and young adults that build character, life skills, and strong values. On behalf of the Board of the Greater Los Angeles Area Council, the Dinner Committee, and our 37,000 Scouts and 10,000 volunteers, we salute our honorees for their contributions to our community. We also gratefully acknowledged our generous sponsors for their support of Scouting and our honorees. Together, we are helping to build a stronger community and prepare our youth to become the leaders of tomorrow. Yours in Scouting, Jeff Hunt Timothy R. Greenleaf Steven M. Craig Scout Executive/CEO President & Chairman of the Board Council Commissioner GOOD CHARACTER GALA PROGRAM GOOD CHARACTER GALA COMMITTEES WELCOME HONOREE COMMITTEE Timothy R. Greenleaf President & Chairman of the Board Kathryn Barger Bernard Kinsey Los Angeles County Supervisor Philanthropist MASTERS OF CEREMONIES Andy Barth Pat Harvey Andy Barth (2017 Honoree) Keith Murray 2017 Good Character Gala Honoree CBS2 News Co-Anchor Investor/Philanthropist PVC Murcor Daryl J. Carter John Semcken, III (2016 Honoree) INVOCATION Avanth Capital Management Majestic Realty Reverend Cecil L. Murray 2018 Good Character Gala Honoree David Ford Steve Silk Southern California Edison Eastdil Secured OPENING CEREMONY Lena Kennedy Mark Ridley Thomas Boy Scout Troop 1323 LL Kennedy & Associates Los Angeles County Supervisor Crenshaw High School, Los Angeles NATIONAL ANTHEM PLANNING COMMITTEE First African Methodist Episcopal Church Los Angeles Gospel Choir LIVE AUCTION Timothy R. Greenleaf, Chair Lance Miller Thomas G. McDonald William R. Barrett, Jr. Christopher Nordel DINNER Janet L. Braun David Nordel Michael P. Birkholm Susan Porter Griego MUSICAL INTERLUDE First African Methodist Episcopal Church Los Angeles Gospel Choir Jeffrey N. Hunt Robert Renken John Kedeshian Robert F. Scoular GLAAC PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Thomas G. McDonald Robert Shepherd Timothy R. Greenleaf President & Chairman of the Board MISSION STATEMENT AN INSPIRATIONAL STORY The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make Trinita R. Peterson ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law. INTRODUCTION TO HONOREE Pat Harvey CBS2 News Co-Anchor SCOUT OATH On my honor, I will do my best, to do my duty to God and my country and to obey AWARDS PRESENTATION the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, Reverend Cecil L. Murray mentally awake, and morally straight. 2018 Good Character Gala Honoree Reverend Mark E. Whitlock, Jr. 2018 Good Character Gala Honoree SCOUT LAW A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent. SPONSORS The Greater Los Angeles Area Council gratefully acknowledges our generous sponsors for their President Wanda M. Austin support of Reverend Cecil L. “Chip” Murray and Reverend Mark E. Whitlock, Jr. joins the GOLD EAGLE SPONSORS Timothy R. Greenleaf University of Southern California Kennedy Wilson Foundation community in recognizing tonight’s honorees SILVER EAGLE SPONSORS Avery and Andy Barth Brian Matthews Payden & Rygel Eric Arentsen TCW Alfred A. Plamann Plamann & Associates Reverend Reverend Kathryn Barger Los Angeles County Supervisor, Fifth District Mark Ridley Thomas Los Angeles County Supervisor, Second District Cecil “Chip” Murray Mark Whitlock Janet L. Braun Robert F. Scoular Chair Executive Director City of Industry Dentons US LLP Bruce G. Davis Steve and Sue Silk Davis Bacon John O. Johnson for their outstanding work with the The Spartan Group USC Cecil Murray Center BRONZE EAGLE SPONSORS for Community Engagement John & Hilda Arnold Foundation Anthony Ferguson BDO Wanda Austin, Ph.D. Office of the President / University of Southern California IOTEC California State University, Los Angeles Thomas G. McDonald Capital Group Dominic Ng East West Bank Daryl J. Carter Avanth Capital Management Patti’s Way Foundation William Covino, Ph.D. R. Paul St. Amand, M.D. Office of the President, California State University, Los Angeles Southern California Edison Clippers Foundation REVEREND CECIL L. “CHIP” MURRAY REVEREND MARK E. WHITLOCK, JR. Rev. Cecil L. Murray and his brother, Edward, belonged to Troop 20, Boy Scouts Rev. Mark E. Whitlock, Jr. is committed to serving God, the African Methodist of America, hosted by Payne Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, West Episcopal Church (AME Church) and the community. He has served as pastor Palm Beach, Florida. Scouting was the seed of their growing. Their Scoutmaster, of Christ Our Redeemer AME Church (COR Church) in Irvine, CA since August Josh Bacon, a member of the church, embraced his Scouts with the love of a 1998. COR Church has grown from five members to 3700 members. The Church devoted father and formed a pathway for them to follow the Scout Law. has over forty different ministries and a staff of thirty people. Rev. Whitlock is the founder and CEO of COR CDC, the non-profit arm of COR Church, which Their troop held bicycle tours where they rode 15 miles North of West Palm owns eleven apartments and operates a sports camp program, small business Beach to a camp bordering a lake. These overnight stays developed their loan fund, youth entrepreneurial training program, banking on your success skills in building fires for cooking, setting up tents for overnight sleeping, and training program, and youth summer enrichment math program. COR CDC learning to swim and dive by leaping from a log bridge over the water. They also has given multiple college scholarships to minority college students living in participated in singing and speechmaking as they sat around the campfire. The Orange County, hosted the National Faith Leadership Conference, created the seasoned Scouts were mentors to the younger Scouts, instilling in them the gift Innovators Impact Fund, and trained young people on entrepreneurship. of leadership. Rev. Whitlock has served as the Executive Director of the Reverend Cecil L. All of the youth were encouraged to advance to the highest rank of Eagle Scout. Murray Center for Community Engagement at the University of Southern Beyond this point of achievement were three levels of super achievement. California for nine years. He raises funds, trains pastors, and administers staff Both Rev. Murray and his brother achieved the rank of Eagle Scout with a Bronze Palm. Rev. Murray’s father was and projects. The Reverend Cecil L. Murray Center has educated over two thousand pastors, executive directors the principal of Industrial High School where both boys were educated. He was very supportive of the Scouting of community development corporations, and non-profit board members on community development, civic movement. engagement, and financial literacy. Rev. Whitlock earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Religion from the University of La Verne. He has a Masters in Reverend Murray met his high school sweetheart, Bernadine Cousins, when her family moved to West Palm Beach Science in Social Entrepreneurship from the University of Southern California and is completing a Masters of and she attended Industrial High School as a 10th grader. They married in 1958, seven years after Bernardine Divinity degree at Payne Theological Seminary. He received an honorary doctorate degree in humanities from graduated from college with double degrees in sociology and education. They had one son, Reverend Drew David American International University. Murray, who followed in his father’s footsteps. In 1983, Rev. Whitlock began a part-time career in radio while working full time for Wells Fargo Bank. He was a Following graduation from Florida A & M University, Cecil L. “Chip” Murray spent 10 years on duty in the United radio talk show host on KGFJ, KACE, KFI and is currently heard every Sunday morning on KJLH Radio. States Air Force as a radar intercept officer in a two-seated jet fighter in the Air Defense Command and as a navigator in the Military Air Transport Service. Transitioning to the reserves as captain, he obtained his Doctorate Rev. Whitlock left his corporate career to serve the people of Los Angeles following the Rodney King riots. of Religion from the School of Theology at Claremont. He is the founder and was the executive director of FAME Renaissance aka FAME Assistance Corporation, the economic development arm of First AME Church, from 1992-2004.