Council Annual Recognition Dinner Reflections

Council Executive Board member Morton Spector, active in Scouting for 72 years.
Council Executive Board member Morton Spector, active in Scouting for 72 years.

It’s always fun and meaningful whenever our council’s annual volunteer recognition dinner comes around each year.  I spent most of the evening Monday night looking through my camera’s viewfinder taking photos for the event, but one thing that stuck with me was the incredible tenures of many of the Scouters in the room.

As part of the program each year, we ask everyone at the dinner to stand up and then had folks sit down as we worked our way up through “years of service.”  Judging by the majority of the audience still standing once we got to 30 years or more of service, I couldn’t help but be mightily impressed with that level of commitment.

I wanted to note that our longest-tenured Scouter at this year’s dinner was Morton Spector – a member of the council’s Executive Board, who has been active in Scouting since 1943, some 72 years ago.

Mort is one of our most energetic board members, with keen interest in many different aspects of what we do in the council.  Congratulations and thank you to Mort (and all of our long-tenured Scouters who have given so much over their many years of service).

Over the years, I’ve been to many different events for non-Scouting organizations and have witnessed those organizations recognizing their volunteers for their service.  I can’t think of another organization’s event I’ve seen where so many people in attendance that have been as passionately involved in Scouting for as many years as I’ve grown accustomed to seeing at our recognition dinner each year.  It’s a remarkable strength for our movement and we’re so fortunate that so many people have provided leadership in Scouting for so many years.

This is especially true for our 2015 Silver Beaver honorees and we were blessed to be able to once again recognize an outstanding group of Scouters.

Silver Beaver MedalThis year’s recipients were:

If you click on each Scouter’s name, you’ll be taken to a brief bio and photo of each Silver Beaver recipient.  Their Scouting careers are a remarkable testimony to leadership and commitment to Scouting and to young people.

I’ve had the privilege to work directly with several of these outstanding individuals over the years and I personally appreciate their hard work and dedication to Scouting.

From time to time, I am asked something like “Why hasn’t so-and-so received the Silver Beaver?”  Quite often, it’s because that person has never been nominated for consideration by the Silver Beaver selection committee.  For a Scouter to have that Silver Beaver award presented, it all starts with someone taking the time to nominate them.

The Silver Beaver nomination form is available through our council’s website (under “National Resources”) and the selection committee relies heavily on well-prepared nominations in their decision-making process each year.  The deadline for new nominations is March 1 each year and the selection committee will consider nominations for up to two years.  If a nominee is not selected during that two-year window, the nomination will need to be updated and resubmitted for consideration.

If you know of a Scouter that you feel deserves consideration for the Silver Beaver, please take the initiative to prepare the nomination.  Enlist other Scouters to help if needed.  I know there are likely many deserving Scouters out there worthy of consideration, but because a nomination has not been been submitted, their service to Scouting and the community will not become known to the committee.

Thanks to everyone who was part of another memorable recognition dinner!  It was a great night for Scouting in the New Birth of Freedom Council!

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