NFL coach passes award to Synodinos; Scouts salute the former LVC president

John Synodinos never made it past the Cub Scouts.

Tuesday, clutching the hefty Distinguished Citizen Award from theBoy Scouts of America, Pennsylvania Dutch Council, the former LebanonValley College president said he was surprised by the honor.

"My den mother wouldn't believe this," he said, laughing.

Synodinos was joined by guest speaker Dick Vermeil, an NFL coach,for the 2002 Distinguished Citizen Award Dinner at Lancaster HostResort.

Vermeil is head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. He previouslycoached the UCLA Bruins, Philadelphia Eagles and the Super Bowlchampion St. Louis Rams; was twice named NFL Coach of the Year; andwas an NFL analyst for CBS and ABC.

During an interview before the banquet, Vermeil said he planned tostress initiative, teamwork and the development of scouting skills inhis address.

"I'll be promoting the philosophy of leadership," he said.

"In today's society, there are more single-parent families, morefamilies where both parents work, more dysfunctional unit families.Participation in scouting is more important than it ever has been."

Despite the need, participation in scouting is on a downwardspiral, Vermeil said. He wants to see a reversal of that slump.

"There's a lack of interest. There's a lack of motivation by theparents," he said. "There's more television. There are morecomputers.... Maybe that's not the best way things could be going."

There must be a turnaround, Vermeil said.

"Make sure the kids you have in the program are having positiveexperiences," said Vermeil, who lives in Chester County and is thecorporate spokesman for D&E Communications. "Make them recruit foryou. And rekindle the interest."

There are benefits to TV and the Internet, he said, but childrenwho spend too much time absorbed by those media "lose vitalintercommunication skills. And those will be far more important intheir future."

Synodinos, president emeritus of LVC, was recognized for his rolein civic and charitable organizations in Lebanon and Lancastercounties.

"My life was pretty full," he said, explaining why his ownscouting career ended so early. "I was always doing something andthere was never enough time for everything."

A college administrator since 1960 when he started at JohnsHopkins University, Synodinos was employed by Franklin & MarshallCollege for 16 years and was a consultant for four years topresidents and boards at more than 20 colleges, universities andother nonprofit organizations.

He was elected Lebanon Valley president in 1988. Following hisretirement in 1996, he returned to LVC as a trustee and adjunctfaculty member.

He has been director of the Datatel Scholars Foundation, HistoricPreservation Trust of Lancaster, Lancaster Chamber of Commerce &Industry, Fulton Opera House, Family & Children's Services ofLancaster County, Lebanon Valley Economic Development Corp., UnitedWay of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania School of Art & Design,Leadership Lancaster, Lancaster Cultural Council, Actors Company ofPennsylvania, Independent Eye Theater Co., the Children's School,Music at Gretna and the state Federation of Museums & HistoricalOrganizations.

He was an active member of the Council for Advancement & Supportof Education, serving on both the national and district boards ofCASE. He currently serves on the boards of WITF, the GreaterHarrisburg Foundation and the Family & Children Services Fund ofLebanon. He is co-founder of the Franklin Consulting Group.

"I have enjoyed very much being a part of the Lancaster andLebanon communities in a number of different ways," Synodinos saidTuesday.

"I've enjoyed being a volunteer," he said. "I've gotten a lot ofpersonal satisfaction working with a lot of wonderful people for alot of wonderful causes."

Although he was not an active Scout in his youth, Synodinos said,young people would do well to take advantage of scoutingopportunities.

"It's a difficult time for young people," he said. "They'reexposed to so much more. They grow up much faster. The time to be achild is so compressed.

"The Scouts and similar organizations provide them with a way ofenjoying their youth and not rushing through it."