For Robert J. “Bob” Mazzuca, Chief Scout Executive from 2007 to 2012, the Summit Bechtel Reserve is a personal triumph – a visionary project that has evolved to become Scouting’s answer to Disney World.
Mazzuca’s leadership and vision during his tenure helped turn a reclamation project in southwest West Virginia into a Scout destination, and Scouting’s fourth national high adventure base, The Summit. “When completed, this project will draw thousands of Scouts, Venturers and outdoor enthusiasts – both young and old – from across the nation and around the world for years to come.”
Despite a political climate of dwindling membership numbers and pressure from all societal sectors, Mazzuca assembled the Summit team to create this wilderness outdoor adventure destination.
Bob Mazzuca and his wife Nanette at the 2013 National Jamboree, and with artist Tom White; Detail of the monumental bronze artwork created by Tom White, one of eleven statues unveiled at the Summit Bechtel Reserve.
Tom, a hunter, has many friends who enjoy hunting to provide meat for their families as well and when one of them recently tagged out with a buck antelope, they called Tom to come take measurements for us sculpture.
It was important to Tom that the foundry we used in Wyoming to cast this into bronze, Eagle Bronze Foundry, do the patina in real life colors and shades. He wanted the wildlife bronze of the antelope to look like they had just stepped up to the waterhole.
It is a true pleasure to finally have one of Tom’s many public monumental bronze sculptures in his hometown. The sculpture is located in front of the government offices complex of the Town of Prescott Valley in front of the Police Department at the corner of Skoog and Lake Shore. It is along a favorite walking and running path and, thus, is able to be enjoyed by many folks in Prescott Valley.
The sculpture scene is available for recast in life-size and in the tabletop versions. Small wildlife desktop bronzes of the javelina eating cactus are available at Ian Russell Gallery downtown in Prescott Valley and are named “Snack Time” by Tom White. Call for information or to have your own custom wildlife scene for your ranch, farm, town or park designed by Tom.
