Bart Starr helps Rock Hill fundraiser net more than $50,000

By Kimberly Dick - kdick@heraldonline.com

Bart Starr started as a Boy Scout and grew up to be a great leader – leading the Green Bay Packers to wins in the first two Super Bowls.

He’s one of many leaders the Boy Scouts of America have produced in its 100-year history. The Scouts start with great leadership, and Starr said that’s why they’re successful.

“It starts with attitude,” he said. “When you have the right attitude it establishes a world of challenges and allows you to set goals that last a lifetime.”

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Photos by Melissa Cherry/mcherry@heraldonline.com - NFL legend Bart Starr, left, speaks with Jim Carter of Boy Scout Troop 366 in York, as Lisa Johnson waits to have a helmet, also above, signed during a Boy Scout fundraiser in Rock Hill’s Laurel Creek neighborhood on Tuesday.

The Hall of Fame quarterback spoke Tuesday night at the Palmetto Council’s Pacesetter Dinner in Rock Hill’s Laurel Creek neighborhood.

The fundraiser netted more than $50,000 to help about 2,500 Boy Scouts in York County and the Indian Land area of Lancaster County, said Mike Moore, York District director of Boy Scouts of the America.

Starr said he was honored to speak because of all the good the organization has done for so many children.

“We need leaders in every field,” Starr said. “Scouts give opportunities to build fine young children into fine young men.”

Starr, now 76, started his professional football career as a 17th-round draft pick and rose to be the MVP of the first two Super Bowls. He learned from legendary coach Vince Lombardi, who he said taught the Packers a faith-based value system without even mentioning the word football.

At Lombardi’s first meeting as coach, he started by thanking the team for giving him the opportunity.

“Does that tell you something about the quality of the man?” Starr said.

Lombardi told the team the goal was to “relentlessly chase perfection, knowing we can’t obtain it. And in the process try to catch excellence.”

Eagle Scout Robert Cook, 16, said he started with Scouting in 1999 to camp and have fun, but he’s ended up learning a lot more.

“I think it’s a good organization that helps the community,” said Cook, a Rock Hill High School student. “I feel the biggest reward a Scout can achieve is to reach Eagle Scout. It’s a lot of work. You learn life-long skills: leadership, time management and budgeting.”

Youths can take a lesson from Starr, who guided the Packers to five NFL championships. He noted several characteristics that help to build quality people – among them are pride and courage.

“You need to be able to have a good, strong, sturdy base of courage,” Starr said. “We have to have it. And we have courage to an usually strong degree.”

Starr still follows the Packers and said he likes current quarterback Aaron Rodgers. As for the eternal question: Will former Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre play again next season?

“I don’t know what he’s thinking,” Starr said. “All I can do is wish him well.”