Larry Janesky Talks about Developing Character Traits at BSA Award Ceremony

“Can we live a successful life without having good character? Can we be our best selves without above average character at least? Can we achieve high goals without good character?”

Larry Janesky asked this of audience during his acceptance speech for the Housatonic Council’s 24^th Annual Good Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America.

After Boy Scouts, what you take with you past your teen years and into your life is character.

Definition:
Character n.: The inherent complex of attributes that determines a person’s moral and ethical actions and reactions.

“That’s the definition of character, but not good character,” Larry said.

The Scout Law, which was printed on the front entrance wall to his office building for 15 years (now framed in his office after renovation), addresses good character. It reads:

• Trustworthy
• Loyal
• Helpful
• Friendly
• Courteous
• Kind
• Obedient
• Cheerful
• Thrifty
• Brave
• Clean
• Reverent

Other qualities that Larry adds to his life are Perseverance, Self-discipline, and Resilience. These and more are the foundation of good character.

“A man without ethics is a wild beast loose upon this world.”
Albert Camus

“There are no perfect people,” Larry said. “I do not stand in front of you and claim to be perfect. I will not be the first perfect person and you will not be either. We all make mistakes on our journey, but we can and should learn from these mistakes and become better – the best version of ourselves.”

In training other entrepreneurs, Larry’s company has a saying, “Success is not hunted like some wild animal with barbarous behavior. Success is attracted by the person you become and the value you have created for others.”

Larry next talked about how in 2014 his house burned to the ground, including his old Boy Scout uniform and badges and regalia. Larry’s story goes that a man, who Larry didn’t know until recently, had been asking him questions about his years in the Boy Scouts. Larry then shows a historic Boy Scout uniform hanging with all the badges sewed on in the order Larry had earned them. Larry then showed all the other memorabilia, the pocket knife and even a certificate of the Eagle Award signed by Jimmy Carter that the man typed Larry’s name onto with an old-fashioned typewriter.

Larry asked, “Why did this man do this for me?  I didn’t even know him?”

The video will tell about Eagle Scout, Robert Batchelor, and his story of why he helped to restore Larry's scouting memorabilia.

Robert does speak about some of the badges that Larry had achieved as a scout, and how scouting shaped his life. His first was his Aviation badge as his father was a flying instructor. Other merit badges included plumbing, home repair, first aid, salesmanship, reading, and scholarship.

Looking at these and knowing who Larry is now, we see how these merit badges worked to play a direction in his life. Besides Connecticut Basement Systems, his local contracting company, Larry is a voracious reader, starting this habit around 14 or 15 years old. He has curated years upon years of information from books and audio programs and from much of that he created The School of Entrepreneurship.

Watch the video for a moving ceremony and learn a lot more about Robert Batchelor, Larry Janesky and the history that lead him on his path toward wanting to help other struggling – and successful – contractors through The School of Entrepreneurship.