Maurice Ampane and the Commitment to Leadership

Maurice Ampane and the Commitment to Leadership

by Liam Crampton

A position of leadership is assigned to somebody who is able to step up and guide others in the right direction. They are able to pull others forward while standing right beside them. Eleven-year scout Maurice “Mo” Ampane, who has officially earned the highest scouting title of Eagle Scout, is a young man who embodies these very traits and is viewed as an admirable mentor to his peers.

Scouts is a program that revolves around outdoor activities in order to teach kids various life skills and camaraderie. The community benefits from the Scouts program as they are involved in many community services activities such as festivals, fundraisers, and drives. One day, a six-year-old Ampane was taken to a boy scouts meeting by his mother, which led to him signing up and changing his life forever.

The current role assigned to Ampane just last year is that of Senior Patrol Leader. the highest youth leadership position. Ampane’s troop, Troop 42 Quincy, splits the scouts up into smaller patrols to help build a culture within the troop and make it easier for others to make friends. As Senior Patrol Leader, he’s in charge of the individual patrol leaders, making sure everything is in line, as well as planning meetings and camp-outs.

Ampane and his peers also stress taking initiative and leading others. Ampane has stated that “Every scout can be a leader, it does not matter what your role is. If you can consistently step up and help other scouts, you can be a leader.” Ampane has stated he loves acting as a role model to other scouts, as watching a scout you helped grow over the years succeed is an unmatched feeling.

Balancing scouts with school and other extracurricular activities that Ampane is involved in such as robotics and band has never been easy for him. That being said, he has committed himself to putting in the work necessary to be the best scout, student, and club member he can be. Ampane’s assistant patrol leader Kobe Khuong praised his hard work and dedication to scouting. “I believe that he values others' enjoyment and experiences over his own. A true example of servant leadership and an inspiration to so many, including me.” Ampane plans to finish his term as Senior Patrol Leader strong and at his pace, he should have no problem doing so.

One of the most important figures in not only scouts and robotics, but in Ampane’s life, was a senior of his. He was a friendly boy who treated everyone with respect and had been a great friend of Ampane’s for many years. Ampane describes this boy as “the reason I can confidently call myself a successful leader”. He taught Ampane throughout his life many pieces of valuable information, such as how leadership was a big privilege, but an even bigger responsibility. Ampane saw firsthand how much effort and dedication there was to becoming a leader and inspiration like him. Unfortunately, three years ago, the boy tragically passed away, which was a huge hit on Ampane’s life. But as the years have passed since Ampane has worked his way to the top to become the leader and inspiration his senior knew he could be and carry on what he stood for.

Scouting has had a tremendous impact on Ampane’s life as a whole. The program has helped him grow into an ideal leader and a respectable person in ways that he couldn’t imagine anything else would have. The commitment to Scouts has been worth every drop of sweat he’s put into it and many within the program and outside of it admire Ampane for his dedication. As he approaches High School Graduation, Ampane can look in the mirror and to those around him and acknowledge how far he’s come both as a Scout and as a person.