# Rick Cronk

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{{Short description|American businessman}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2026}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Rick Cronk
| image               =
| caption             = William F. Cronk
| office              = 32nd [National President](/source/List_of_national_presidents_of_the_Boy_Scouts_of_America) of the [Boy Scouts of America](/source/Boy_Scouts_of_America)
| term_start          = 2006
| term_end            = 2008
| predecessor         = [John C. Cushman](/source/John_C._Cushman_III)
| successor           = [John Gottschalk](/source/John_Gottschalk)
| birth_date          = October 4, 1942
| birth_place         = [Lafayette, California](/source/Lafayette%2C_California)
| occupation          = Chairman of the [World Scout Committee](/source/World_Scout_Committee)
}}
'''William F. "Rick" Cronk''' (born October 4, 1942) is an American businessman who was co-owner and president of [Dreyer's](/source/Dreyer's) Grand Ice Cream. He is a former [national president of the Boy Scouts of America](/source/national_president_of_the_Boy_Scouts_of_America) and chairman of the [World Scout Committee](/source/World_Scout_Committee) of the [World Organization of the Scout Movement](/source/World_Organization_of_the_Scout_Movement).

==Business==
After graduating from the [Haas School of Business](/source/Haas_School_of_Business) at the [University of California, Berkeley](/source/University_of_California%2C_Berkeley) with a [bachelor's degree](/source/bachelor's_degree) in 1965, Cronk started his career with [Eastman Dillon & Co.](/source/Eastman_Dillon_%26_Co.)  In 1972 he started a restaurant chain called "Vintage House" in the same vein as theme eatery pioneer [Victoria Station](/source/Victoria_Station_(restaurant)). The chain struggled and in 1977 Cronk and [T. Gary Rogers](/source/T._Gary_Rogers) purchased [Dreyer's](/source/Dreyer's), then a popular [ice cream](/source/ice_cream) company operating exclusively in the [San Francisco](/source/San_Francisco) [Bay Area](/source/Bay_Area). Cronk built Dreyer's from a $6 million company to a $1.5 billion company. In 2003, Cronk retired after 26 years, having expanded Dreyer's to be the number one ice cream in the United States.<ref name=dreyersinc>{{cite web | url = http://www.dreyersinc.com/about/index.asp | title = About Dreyer's | publisher = Dreyers | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090201014222/http://www.dreyersinc.com/about/index.asp | accessdate = 2009-04-07| url-status = usurped | archive-date = February 1, 2009 }}</ref>

==Scouting==
Cronk joined the [Boy Scouts of America](/source/Boy_Scouts_of_America) as a [Cub Scout](/source/Cub_Scouting_(Boy_Scouts_of_America)).  As a [Boy Scout](/source/Boy_Scouts_of_America) he advanced to [Life rank](/source/Life_Scout_(Boy_Scouts_of_America)).  As an adult, Cronk became a volunteer leader to support his sons, all three of whom are [Eagle Scouts](/source/Eagle_Scout_(Boy_Scouts_of_America)).

Cronk served as a district chairman, council president, area president and chairman of the [World Scout Foundation](/source/World_Scout_Foundation).  He received the [Silver Buffalo Award](/source/Silver_Buffalo_Award) in 2001.<ref name= "summary">{{cite web | url=http://www.scout.org/en/information_events/news/2008/38th_world_scout_conference_summary |title=38th World Scout Conference – Summary |publisher=World Organization of the Scout Movement |accessdate=July 23, 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529233741/http://www.scout.org/en/information_events/news/2008/38th_world_scout_conference_summary |archivedate=May 29, 2010 }}</ref>

Cronk was the [National Commissioner](/source/National_Commissioner_of_the_Boy_Scouts_of_America) of the Boy Scouts of America from 1999 to 2004.  He then became an executive vice president in 2006 before becoming the president in 2006.<ref name="Curtis">{{cite news |last1=Curtis |first1=Mark |title=Lafayette's Rick Cronk Retires from Boy Scouts |url=http://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue0221/Lafayettes-Rick-Cronk-Retires-from-Boy-Scouts.html |access-date=2009-09-29 |work=Lamorinda Weekly |location=Moraga, Ca |date=2008-12-24}}</ref>

At the 2008 World Scout Conference, he was elected to a three-year term on the [World Scout Committee](/source/World_Scout_Committee), and subsequently elected the chairman of the committee.  He was also presented with the [Bronze Wolf](/source/Bronze_Wolf) award.<ref name="wolfie">{{Cite web | url = https://www.scout.org/BronzeWolfAward/List | title = List of recipients of the Bronze Wolf Award | publisher = [WOSM](/source/World_Organization_of_the_Scout_Movement) | website = scout.org | access-date = 2019-05-01 | archive-date = January 29, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160129145907/https://www.scout.org/BronzeWolfAward/list | url-status = dead }}</ref> Cronk is a member of the [National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America](/source/National_Executive_Board_of_the_Boy_Scouts_of_America), the organization's governing body.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.scouting.org/filestore/media/324-168.pdf |title=Boy Scouts of America Annual Report 2011 |access-date=December 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114024453/http://www.scouting.org/filestore/media/324-168.pdf |archive-date=November 14, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{cite web| url =https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-05-23-cronk-interview_x.htm | work = USA Today | title = THE CRONK FILE | date = 2006-05-23}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-npo|wosm}}
{{s-bef
| before = [Philippe Da Costa](/source/Philippe_Da_Costa)
}}
{{s-ttl
| title = Chairman, World Scout Committee
| years = 2008-2011
}}
{{s-aft
| after = [Simon Hang-bock Rhee](/source/Simon_Hang-bock_Rhee)
}}
{{s-npo|bsa}}
{{s-bef
| before = [John C. Cushman III](/source/John_C._Cushman_III)
}}
{{s-ttl
| title = [National president](/source/National_president_of_the_Boy_Scouts_of_America)
| years = 2006 – 2008
}}
{{s-aft
| after = [John Gottschalk](/source/John_Gottschalk)
}}
{{end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cronk, Rick}}
Category:Living people
Category:American business executives in the food industry
Category:Haas School of Business alumni
Category:World Scout Committee members
Category:Recipients of the Bronze Wolf Award
Category:1942 births
Category:National commissioners of Scouting America
Category:20th-century American businesspeople
Category:Presidents of Scouting America

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Rick Cronk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Cronk) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Cronk?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.