LDS leader also lifelong Scouter

When you think of President Thomas S. Monson's civic contributions, one of the first things that comes to mind is Scouting.

And though he shows his support at the local level, his influence is felt nationwide.

Since 1969, President Monson, 80, has served on Scouting's National Executive Board, making him one of the longest-serving, if not the longest-serving, members of the 62-member board.

He received the Silver Beaver Award in 1971, the Silver Buffalo Award in 1978 and international Scouting's highest award, the Bronze Wolf, in 1993.

President Monson just seems a natural fit in the photographs from national jamborees, held every four years, in which Scouts gather as a community of youths engaged in service.

He has truly been a fixture in the Boy Scouts of America.

Chief Executive Scout Bob Mazzuka first met President Monson in February 2005, though he had heard of him long before that.

National Executive Board members attend three meetings a year during which they serve on committees to mold and shape the national Scouting organization.

"He has been a very, very, very loyal and faithful board member," Mazzuka said, adding that President Monson has dedicated his time to serve on various committees and subcommittees. "I can't recall a meeting where he was not able to attend and participate."

The LDS Church sponsors 400,729 Scouts in 36,713 units, which makes the church one of the top three chartering partners of the Boy Scouts of America.

The LDS Church is the only church that has embraced Scouting as the activity arm for its young men's program because the Scouting values align so closely with what the church teaches its young men.

"President (Gordon B.) Hinckley was instrumental in making it that way," Mazzuka said. "And President Monson is very instrumental in keeping it that way.

But President Monson doesn't take advantage of the church's heavy enrollment in Scouting, Mazzuka said.

"He's careful to not be dominant," he said. "And he's incredibly supporting to the ecumenical nature of Scouting."

President Monson helped shepherd Scouting through a difficult time in 2000 when the organization's ousting of a homosexual Scoutmaster landed it in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.