Elsie Williams – 2019 Silver Beaver Award Honoree

To say Elsie Williams is part of a proud Scouting family is quite an extreme understatement.

Elsie’s career as a Scouting volunteer is inextricably tied to her late husband Dale’s career path as a professional Scouter with the Boy Scouts of America.  With each new position that Dale accepted throughout his distinguished BSA career, Elsie and the family’s four children would have to pack up and relocate to a new council.  And each time the family moved, Elsie would jump right in to volunteer, quickly becoming a great asset in their new council.

Elsie is the mother of an Eagle Scout son, beginning her volunteer service to Boy Scouts of America in 1980 when she joined her son’s troop committee.  From there, Elsie’s volunteer service with the BSA spans five different councils (Moraine Trails, Del-Mar-Va, Knox Trail, Keystone Area and New Birth of Freedom).  

In her travels, she has held a myriad of important roles, including service on district committees, Advancement Committee Chair, Eagle Board Chair, Unit Commissioner, Friends of Scouting presenter, District Dinner Chair, Cub Scout Day Camp/Family Camp Visitation Specialist, Camping Committee member and instructor at several different training events.  She received the District Award of Merit in 1991 (while in Moraine Trails Council) and was recognized as that council’s Most Valuable Scouter in 1994.

Elsie and Dale also had three daughters, each of whom were Girl Scouts growing up and Elsie somehow managed to find the time to also volunteer as a Girl Scout troop leader in the various communities where the family lived.

A resident of Harrisburg, Elsie has also been extremely active in several Presbyterian Churches and various PTA/PTO organizations.

The New Birth of Freedom Council is pleased to present the Silver Beaver Award to Elsie H. Williams.