Title: Forrest Gertin (SFS’20) Ends Term as National Leader In Boy Scouts of America

Commitment to Community Service and Leadership

Gertin’s commitment to community service and leadership is reflected on and off campus. For him, Georgetown’s emphasis on reflection and being a person for others “matched my personal values with his academic interests.” He is majoring in International Political Economy with a certificate in Justice and Peace Studies. So far, Gertin’s favorite class at Georgetown is “Researching Gender, Power, Politics, and Markets” with Professor Shareen Joshi because of its focus on anthropology and sociology of gender through the lens of econometrics and economic theory.

Gertin is currently a coordinator for New Student Orientation 2018, responsible for organizing four days of programming at the start of the school year to welcome all new students to the Hilltop. He is also a Treasurer and Sophomore Representative on the SFS Academic Council, serving since he was elected in freshman year. In addition, he is active in the theater community on campus.

While at Georgetown, in addition to extracurricular and academic interests, Gertin has maintained his long-standing involvement and leadership with the Boy Scouts of America. Fellow Eagle Scout and SFS Assistant Dean Samuel Aronson “has had a huge impact on my Georgetown experience by being a mentor and advocate,” Gertin says.

A Life of Scouting

Gertin credits his dad with introducing him to scouting after taking him to his first Cub Scouts meeting at age six. Since then, he has risen through the ranks of scouting, achieving the Eagle Scout rank with the completion of his Eagle Scout service project at a local theater production company in Rochester, New York.

During his time with the Boy Scouts, Gertin was inducted into the Order of the Arrow, Scouting’s national honor society. With a membership of over 170,000 Arrowmen and women nationwide, it focuses on leadership development and community service for youth and adults. As Gertin took on more leadership roles within the Order, “I met several mentors along the way who encouraged me to run for 2017 National Chief, and I was elected by 47 state-level youth leaders in December of 2016.”

Welcoming Women into the Boy Scouts

During his time as National Chief, the Boy Scouts of America made the landmark decision to welcome girls into the traditionally male organization. Gertin advocated for the change wholeheartedly and spoke at the national meeting in favor of including girls. “I think I spoke for most Eagle Scouts under 40 when I said in my speech that young women should be able to attain the highest rank in Scouting. I can tell you that nothing would make me prouder, if in 5 years, I could see my sister Jillian’s Eagle Court of Honor.”

Gertin later served on a task force which presented the resolution to the national board and secured its passage in October 2017. He continues to be optimistic about the opportunities to reach more young men and women with Scouting programming. “I think there’s a lot of enthusiasm surrounding the opportunity to serve more youth, and I personally can’t wait to see the impact those young women have on the Scouting movement.”

Delivering “Report to the Nation” in Washington, D.C.

Following the passage of a 1916 bill in Congress requiring the BSA to present an annual report to the House and the Senate, the resulting “Report to the Nation” has become an integral part of Scouting advocacy and education efforts. Gertin, along with ten other young men and women from other scouting programs, represented over 2.3 million youth in the Boy Scouts of America as a member of the delegation to Congress.

The delegation visited Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, President Donald Trump, and other cabinet secretaries. For Gertin, “speaking to Secretary Tillerson and Democratic Leader Pelosi were the most impactful parts of the visit. Each took significant time out of their day to answer questions that we asked about the role that youth organizations like the Boy Scouts of America can play in continuing to shape the next generation of the nation’s leaders.”

Looking Ahead

Gertin’s term with the National Order of the Arrow has concluded, but he plans to remain engaged on the national level. He is already back to work for the Boy Scouts as a “youth coordinator for a service initiative occurring in 2023, and as the youth lead for a program that will bring together 500 young adults from across the globe to welcome over 40,000 Scouts to the 2019 World Scout Jamboree, hosted by the US, Mexico, & Canada.