Boy Scouts name Terry Marxen as Citizen of the Year

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - Recently, Terry Marxen, owner of Tyrrell-Marxen Chevrolet, received the Citizen of the Year award for all he does for the Route 66 District Boy Scouts.

James Brown, assistant district commissioner of the district, recalls the day he first asked Marxen for help funding the local scouts.

"Five years ago when I first got here, my job at that time was to raise funds for scouting for the Route 66 area and Tyrrell Marxen was the first business I went to," said Brown. "From the time I drove in the parking lot everyone was friendly. I got in and talked to Terry (Marxen), and he was very enthusiastic about scouting. He receives a lot of requests for funding and I was very pleased at the fact that he took time out of his busy schedule to talk in length about scouting."

Since then Brown, Marxwen and the scouts have a very close relationship.

"Every year we hold a golf tournament and we try and have a hole in one car," said Brown. "And he has been more than willing to give us a car every year that we have asked him and I know it costs him quite a bit to do that, but he does it willingly and enthusiastically."

Not only does Marxen donate cars and money to the local troup, but he allows them to use his space for special events.

"We had a flag ceremony a couple years ago where people bring in their flags that have to be retired," said Brown. "And we had it right there in his parking lot."

One of the reasons Marxen received the award is his willingness to help, and his actions of making the scouts a top priority.

"Everything I have gone in there to ask him for he has done," said Brown. "He puts us on top of his list. He's friendly and caring, and all the people throughout his organization are the same way.

They money that Marxen donates to the group goes to help lowering fees for the boys activities.

"We have to raise $66,000 to go camping and they raised it this year on us," said Brown. "We spend about $150 per boy in the district to help maintain our camps and his donations helps keep fees down."

Marxen is the first business owner to receive the citizen of the year award.

"There is no set requirement to get the award, if this person donates to us and helps us out that is the main thing," said Brown. "And if they are helping us we try to help them back, and doing this is just about all we can do to recognize those people."

Marxen reasons for helping the boy scouts aren't known by a lot of people, but one can guess.

"I think he was involved with Boy Scouts when he was younger," said Brown. "And he's got a grandson that isn't into scouts but he would like to get him into it. It's something I really cant sit down and explain why he does but its something that is high on his agenda and few appreciate everything he does, and we want more business to participate"

The match between the two organizations seems perfect since Marxen appears to live his life by the boy scout code.

"Scout law that we go by is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent, said Brown. "I've noticed that in Terry in his personal life and his business operates almost to exactly that scout law. He is just one of those people who are very personable and I enjoy working with him."