ScoutingNews » Recognition

Scouting Speakers Bank Closed

ScoutingNewsStaff — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 07:00:12 +0000

The Speakers Bank for BSA has been a great source of great dynamic speakers. They have provided a means to promote Scouting to community organizations. As of last month though, the Bank is closing to new members. The Speakers Bank will continue to supply speech templates and award Speakers Patches and Speakers Knot.

2012 Powder Horn Courses

ScoutingNewsStaff — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 07:00:32 +0000

Powder Horn is a high adventure resource course for Venturing, Boy Scouting and Varsity Scouting leaders. The goals of Powder Horn are to: help Scout leaders to safely conduct outdoor activities of a fun and challenging nature, provide an introduction to the resources necessary to successfully lead their youth through a program of high adventure and to understand what is involved in different high adventure disciplines. It will also familiarize the Venturing Advisor with the Ranger program so that they can help Venturers in meeting the requirements of the Ranger Award.

Course Director Roger Tipley and the Sam Houston Area Council would like to announce their Powder Horn Course for 2012. This will be a six-day course covering two weekends. May 4-6 and May 18-20. More information can be found here.

Course Director Mike Richards and the Montana Council would like announce a unique Powder Horn Course for 2012. Participants from Scouts Canada and Asociación de Scouts de México have already signed up. This will be a week long course offering whitewater rafting and a trip to Glacier National Park. July 23-27. More information can be found here.

Do you have a course you’d like to promote? Comment below!

Conservation Awareness Takes Hold Across the Country

ScoutingNewsStaff — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 22:07:53 +0000

Hornaday Medal- BSA

What’s better than completing a conservation project and earning one of the rarest awards known to Scouting? How does $1000 in grant money to help fund the project sound?

The William T. Hornaday Award is presented to Scouts who complete certain requirements in addition to planning and executing a conservation project under the guidance of a Hornaday advisor. The award has different levels and is intended to advance awareness in environmental conservation. The award is also available to adult Scouters through the nomination process. Check with your local council for more information.

The original conservation program began in 1914 and the award was named the Wildlife Protection Medal by Dr. William T. Hornaday. He pioneered natural resource conservation and spearheaded a movement to save the American bison from extinction. After Dr. Hornaday’s passing in 1937, the award was renamed in his honor and became a Boy Scouts of America award. Although the award has been around for 80 years, only about 1,100 medals have been awarded in its inception.

Those planning a Hornaday Award, may also qualify to receive a $1000 grant toward the completion of the conservation project. Boy Scouts, Venturers, and Scout Units may submit an application to the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) for consideration. The 2011 application process has already concluded. If you plan to pursue the Hornaday Badge or Medal, be sure to check the Planet Connect Grant web site for 2012 application, qualifications, funding restrictions, and other information.

The amount of time and effort it takes to complete a Hornaday conservation project is comparable to that of an Eagle project. Scouts and Scouters alike have worked extremely hard to obtain this prestigious award. However, it is even more rewarding to see the fruits of their labor and be able to appreciate the beginnings of sustainable and positive impact on the environment.

Scout Executive Retires After 40 Years

Press Release — Thu, 12 May 2011 22:34:14 +0000

After 40 years as a professional Scouter, Lloyd Roitstein will retire on June 30, 2011. Roitstein smiles when he says, “Now I can be a volunteer again.”

Roitstein is an Eagle Scout. He graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1971, and then he began his career with the Boy Scouts of America. Before becoming the Scout Executive of the Mid-America Council based in Omaha, Roitstein served as Area Director for the North-Central Region, Scout Executive for Okaw Valley Council in Belleville, Illinois and Director of Field Service, Field Director and District Executive for the Mid-America Council.

“As I look back at the accomplishments of the Boy Scouts of America, Mid-America Council, I am honored. I have countless wonderful memories of Scouting, dating back to when I was just a youth. As the years rolled by, I have always lived and breathed Scouting. I am “once an Eagle, always an Eagle” and am proud of the impact Scouting has made on my life and the thousands of youth that I’ve seen succeed over the last 40 years of my professional Scouting career,” said Roitstein.

“Our council wouldn’t be ranked #1 and I wouldn’t have dedicated my life to Scouting if it wasn’t for one important thing, the volunteers. You are the reason that I wake up each day and feel blessed. You are the reason that I have dedicated 40 years of my life to the movement. You are the reason that thousands of youth are making a difference in our community,” he said.

Roitstein is responsible for the leadership to 58 counties of Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota. He is also responsible for operational goals to expand Scouting, strategic planning, endowment development, funding and more.

An event celebrating his dedication to Scouting will take place on Friday, June 17, 2011 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Happy Hollow Country Club, 1701 South 105 Street, Omaha. Please RSVP to Cassie Lange at cassie.lange@scouting.org.

About the Boy Scouts of America, Mid-America Council
For over 100 years, the Boy Scouts of America has created a strong foundation of leadership, service, and community for millions of America’s youth. The Boy Scouts of America, Mid-America Council serves 31,236 youth in 58 counties in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota. The Council, supported by 7,870 volunteers was ranked #1 in the nation in 2010.

Photo courtesy Mid-America Council.

Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation Presents Award to a Boy Scout

Press Release — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 04:27:38 +0000

The Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation will present its American Spirit Award to Jack Pape, a 17-year-old Boy Scout from Omaha, Nebraska. Pape, a junior in high school, will be recognized for his heroic efforts in 2008 and 2009 during a variety of ceremonies Friday, March 25. The American Spirit Award recognizes individuals who demonstrate extraordinary skill, professionalism, and a spirit of excellence in a challenging situation.

The award is given by the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation and the Society of America’s living Medal of Honor recipients. Pape will be recognized for helping to provide first aid to Scouts injured during the tornado that struck Little Sioux Scout Ranch in 2008 and for administering CPR to a young boy who had stopped breathing while at a hotel swimming pool in 2009.

“When I first heard about the American Spirit Award, I was really surprised to be nominated,” Pape said. “It seemed like kind of a big deal. I’m just a normal teenager. I was scared when I was faced with these situations but I didn’t think about it. I just did what needed to be done. There wasn’t really any other option.”

The Congressional Medal of Honor is in its 150th year of existence, and Boys’ Life magazine is celebrating its 100th year of turning “today’s readers into tomorrow’s leaders.” In observance of both anniversaries, it was decided to also name the recipient as the Boys’ Life 100th anniversary ambassador. In 2010, a national search was conducted, and four Scouts were selected as nominees for the American Spirit Award. An online vote at boyslife.org, combined with the evaluations from a judging panel, selected Jack Pape as the recipient.

“We are excited and honored to recognize Jack Pape with the American Spirit Award,” said Gen. Nick Kehoe, president of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. “Like so many of the youth in Boy Scouts of America, Jack truly embodies the values represented by the American Spirit Award and the Medal of Honor.”

“The millions of youth in our program do honor to the name of Scouting through their acts of service to others and through their leadership,” Boy Scouts of America Chief Scout Executive Bob Mazzuca said. “We applaud the courage and service above self shown by Jack Pape and are proud to join with the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation in recognizing this achievement.“

Pape and his family, parents Anne and Jerry Pape, will participate in the National Medal of Honor Day activities on March 25 at Arlington National Cemetery, where he will receive the American Spirit Award. A special assembly is planned for Jack at Mount Michael High School on Tuesday, March 29, after his return home. In addition, Boys’ Life magazine will feature Pape in an upcoming issue, and he will serve as an ambassador for the youth-focused publication throughout the remainder of its 100-year anniversary celebration.

ABOUT THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA AND BOYS’ LIFE MAGAZINE
The Boy Scouts of America is the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. For 100 years, the award-winning Boys’ Life has chronicled Scouting’s commitment to give young Americans the tools, experiences, and knowledge they need to make the world a better place. Through an entertaining and educational variety of general-interest articles, fictional stories, and cartoons, the magazine has reinforced the importance of literacy and told the collective story of more than 100 million Scouts, many of whom have gone on to be national heroes, including sports stars, astronauts, and U.S. presidents. Today, Boys’ Life continues to prepare young people for life as it teaches them the importance of community, family, ambition, education, leadership, priority, and living a life bigger than themselves. http://boyslife.org/

ABOUT THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR FOUNDATION
The Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, which was founded by the exclusive Society of living Medal of Honor recipients, is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to perpetuate the Medal of Honor’s legacy of courage, sacrifice, selfless service, and patriotism. The Foundation supports the objectives, activities, and outreach programs of the Society, and raises funds for initiatives such as Citizen Service Before Self Honors and the American Spirit Award that promote awareness of what the Medal of Honor represents. For more information, visit www.cmohfoundation.org . The Foundation presents the American Spirit Award to an individual or group that has exhibited extraordinary skill, professionalism, and a spirit of excellence in a challenging situation. For more information about the American Spirit Award, please visit http://citizenservicebeforeselfhonors.org.

Harford County Celebrates Accomplishments of a Local Eagle Scout

Dan — Tue, 18 May 2010 07:46:14 +0000

The Baltimore Area Council, Boy Scouts of America (BSA) celebrated Eagle Scouts with a reception held Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at the Buffalo Wild Wings in Bel Air, Maryland. Twenty people including local Eagle Scout alumni and BSA staff joined BSA National Eagle Scout Association National Director, Bill Steel, and Baltimore Area Council BSA Executive Board member Tom Owsley in recognizing the accomplishments of Alex Griffith. As the Scouting movement celebrates its 100th anniversary an emphasis is being placed to reconnect with Eagle Scout from all years. A recent poll by Harris Interactive showed that over 13,000 Eagle Scouts reside within the metropolitan Baltimore area.

At the reception key note speaker, Mr. Steel announced that 16-year old Harford County Resident, Alex Griffith, has been awarded the National Eagle Service Project of the Year for his Eagle Scout Service project. Alex’s project was chosen from over 50,000 Eagle Scout Leadership Service Projects in 2009. This award will be presented at the National Council Annual meeting at the end of this month in Dallas, Texas.

Alex attracted national media attention when he decided to raise funds and build a playground for the orphanage in Krasnoyarsk, Russia where he was adopted from at the age of 11 months for his Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project. Through this project and over more than two years, Alex, along with the assistance of his Boy Scout Troop (Troop 809) and other volunteers, dedicated countless hours to raising over $60,000 for the purchase of the elaborate playground. In April 2009, Alex and a crew of Boy Scouts and leaders travelled to Krasnoyarsk with the playground kit and spent two weeks assembling the playground. They worked alongside Russian youth, overcoming language and cultural difference.

Alex has been recognized for his efforts as a 2009 CNN Hero of the Week, one of 28 Heroes selected from over 9000 nominations from 100 countries. Alex is here to tell us about his Scouting experience.

The Eagle Scout award is the highest rank a boy can attain in the BSA. Only 4% of all registered Scouts earn this coveted mark of success. A Scout must complete 21 merit badges, serve in a leadership position successfully for six months in their Scouting group, show Scout Spirit, and complete the capstone Eagle service project. Once the requirements are met the Scout takes part in a board of review with adults from his group and the larger Scouting community.

The Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project provides a Scout with the opportunity to demonstrate leadership of others in the completion of a significant project to benefit his school, church, or community. Normally the service project involves over 100 hours of effort by the Scout and individuals who assist him. In 2009, total project hours of Eagle Scouts throughout the metro area was 87,972 hours. In Harford County 54 youth achieved the rank of Eagle.

The Baltimore Area Council, BSA is initiating a number of opportunities for Eagle Scouts of all ages to renew their commitment to serve others. First among these is the “Eagle Reserve” an alumni and affiliation network of Eagle Scouts in the Baltimore area. Realizing that many Eagle Scouts are not in a place in their career or family life to be able to devote time as a unit volunteer the Eagle Reserve connects Eagle Scouts to the countless options to serve others, and perhaps help the next crop of Eagle Scouts. All Eagles are encouraged to contact kmcclelland@baltimorebsa.org or 443-573-2540 for alumni information and updates.

Scout Helps Choking Boy With Heimlich

Dan — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 19:55:25 +0000

The Pembroke Mariner & Reporter has an article about a 14 year old Scout using his first aid skills to help a next door neighbor.

Just days before the holiday break from school, 14-year-old Boy Scout Troop 105 member Ryan Damon was sitting in the basement playing video games with his next-door neighbor, Dakota Draheim.

In the background, Dakota’s little brother, 5-year-old Matthew, was eating Jolly Rancher candies, watching the older boys, when suddenly he stood up, flailing his arms in a panic.

Without a second thought, Ryan knew exactly what to do.

Read the entire article at the Pembroke Mariner & Reporter.

I like how modest Ryan was about the whole situation. It speaks enormously about his character.

Eagle Scout Used Training and Knowledge To Act Quickly

Dan — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:22:31 +0000

WDAF-TV out of Kansas City, Missouri, featured a story about an Eagle Scout who noticed the signs of Carbon Monoxide poisoning and was able to get his family out of his house and to safety.

Troop 111 Celebrates 75 Years

Dan — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:36:28 +0000

The Bonner County Daily Bee has a nice feature article about Boy Scout Troop 111 which is celebrating its 75th anniversary:

Troop 111 now has about 30 members according to scoutmaster Laszlo Suto, who said some scouts have moved to more conveniently located troops, including Cocolalla, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and two troops that meet at different Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints buildings.

Between them, the local Boy Scouts represent a tradition that goes back to 1916, when Troop 1 was formed by Rev. W. G. Asher at the local Christian Church. The Pend d’Oreille Review newspaper reported that 50 boys wanted to join, but troop size was limited to 32. By 1919, another troop was formed in Laclede.

In the spring of 1921, two local Boy Scouts used their life-saving skills when one of the first airplane flights out of Sandpoint ended with a watery landing in Lake Pend Oreille. Pilot John Van Alste of Goldendale, Wash. , was fished out of the lake by scouts Hudson Livingston and Edward Thomason. That same year, Sandpoint troops were reorganized, resulting at least three groups here and additional troops in Bonners Ferry.

Read the rest of the article at The Bonner County Daily Bee.

Tony Argiz Honored by South Florida Council

Dan — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:12:37 +0000

Morrison, Brown, Argiz and Farra, LLP (MBAF) CEO and Managing Partner Tony Argiz was recently honored by the South Florida Council, Boy Scouts of America for his service to the South Florida community as part of Hispanic Heritage month. The 11th Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards Celebration also commemorated the work of Former Mayor of the City of Miami, Maurice Ferré, and Congresswoman for the 18th District of Florida, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

The Hispanic Heritage Awards program recognizes respected Hispanic community leaders that exemplify the values of Scouting through their service and support of the community. Proceeds from the event benefitted the South Florida Council’s Hispanic Outreach Program called Operation Scoutreach, which brings Scouting to at-risk youth in economically-challenged communities.

“The South Florida Council, Boy Scouts of America is not only helping to form tomorrow’s leaders, but it is also setting an example for our community,” said Argiz, accepting the honor.

A recipient of many community and professional commendations, Argiz just completed a two-year term as Chairman of the United Way of Miami-Dade, heading a tremendous effort during some of the most challenging economic times. He currently serves the community as President and Chair-Elect of the Orange Bowl Committee, a major engine of economic growth for South Florida. Additionally, Argiz has served on the boards and committees of many charitable, civic, community and educational organizations.

“I’m grateful for this award and promise to continue helping the South Florida community to the best of my ability,” added Argiz.

About the Boy Scouts of America
The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetime by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law. The South Florida Council proudly serves over 70,000 young men and women throughout Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties.

About MBAF
MBAF is ranked in the top 50 accounting firms in the nation and is the largest independent Florida-based certified public accountant firm in the State. The firm has been ranked as “Best of the Best,” the list of the top 25 performing firms in the country, for 14 years. MBAF provides tax and accounting, audit, technology consulting and litigation support and business valuation services to entrepreneurs, wealthy individuals, private and public corporations and legal practitioners across a broad range of industries.

Source: Morrison Brown Argiz and Farra, LLP Press Release