Coleman D. Ross
Achievements and Awards
Marathons
The qualities and capacities that are important in running —
such factors as will power,
the ability to apply effort during extreme fatigue,
and the acceptance of pain —
have a radiating power that subtly influences one's life.
— James Fixx, The Complete Book of Running
Central Park, New York City Marathon
I have been a recreational runner over a number of years. As I approached my retirement from Price Waterhouse, I decided to train seriously and run a marathon (26.2 miles). Over the next two years, I ran four marathons:
- April 29, 2000 – Country Music Marathon
(Nashville, TN) - November 7, 1999 – New York City Marathon
- October 25, 1998 – Marine Corps Marathon
(Washington, DC) - October 10, 1998 – Greater Hartford Marathon
My fastest time was 3:53 at the Country Music Marathon, where I finished 23rd out of 145 men in my 55 – 59 year-old age group and 1,049th out of 5,821 runners overall.
While I've probably run my last marathon, I continue to be a serious and dedicated recreational runner.
It’s very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside your head that wants you to quit.
— George Sheehan
Scouting
photo by Andrew Ross
We only have a short time to live, so it is essential to do things that are worthwhile and to do them now.
— Lord Robert Baden-Powell
In addition to the numerous awards that the Boy Scouts of America grants to those who have completed prescribed courses of study and participated in special training sessions, the BSA recognizes distinguished service to youth with its Distinguished Service Awards. These recognitions are granted by one’s own peers in Scouting.
I was honored to receive two of these awards: the Silver Beaver award from the Hartford, Connecticut-based Long Rivers Council, BSA in 1986 for distinguished service to youth on the local council level and the Silver Antelope award from the Northeast Region, BSA in 1991 for distinguished service to youth on the regional level.
Coleman Ross family in front of the Ross Family Dining Hall at Connecticut Rivers Council’s Camp Workcoeman
photo by Andrew Ross
Within Scouting, I am also a member of the Order of the Arrow, a Baden-Powell World Fellow, a James E. West Fellow, a recipient of the Founders Circle award, and a member of the 1910 Society. The Order of the Arrow is Scouting's national honor society; the other four of these are world or national endowment-related recognitions.
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Leadership
Greater Hartford
However so selfish man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortunes of others, and render their happiness to him, though he derives nothing from it except the pleasure of seeing it.
— Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments
In 1977, as a newly-admitted Price Waterhouse partner, I was selected among 25 Hartford business leaders to join 25 Hartford community leaders in the inaugural class of the Leadership Greater Hartford program. This yearlong leadership training program was created under the sponsorship of the Greater Hartford Chamber of Commerce (now the MetroHartford Alliance) and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving to address four goals:
- Provide current and emerging Hartford business leaders with the skills and knowledge needed to be effective in a changing world.
- Create a network that reflected and embraced the wide diversity of leadership within the Hartford community.
- Find common ground and understand collaborative endeavors among people who come from very different experiences.
- Find ways of engaging program participants to take on important Hartford community leadership roles for the future.
My Leadership Greater Hartford experience was the catalyst for my initial volunteer involvement in the Hartford-area Boy Scout council and the numerous leadership roles that I have held in Scouting.
Boy Scout headshot by Andrew Ross