Rex Tillerson, the recently fired secretary of state, is a distinguished Eagle Scout who has not forgotten the values he honed while earning the highest rank in Scouting. During his time at the State Department, Mr. Tillerson was publicly criticized numerous times, and then fired, via Twitter, by his boss, the president of the United States. While one may or may not agree with Mr. Tillerson’s political viewpoints, he left his position at the State Department with his personal integrity intact.
In his to employees March 22, Mr. Tillerson said, in part,
“Never lose sight of your most valuable asset, … your personal integrity. … Only you can relinquish it or allow it to be compromised. Once you’ve done so, it is very, very hard to regain it. … And finally, I hope you will continue to treat each other with respect. Regardless of the job title, the station in life, or your role, everyone is important.”
“Each of us get to choose the person we want to be, and the way we want to be treated, and the way we will treat others,” he said. “God bless you all, your loved ones, and God bless America.” With that, he left the room amidst continuous applause, shaking hands with those staff members he could reach.
Bravo, Mr. Tillerson. Spoken like a true Eagle Scout.
Tom Thompson, Lakewood
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