The Otschodela Council of the Boy Scouts of America recently recognized five area residents with the highest award local councils can give to adult volunteers.
Silver Beaver Awards were given to Helen Van Houten of Davenport; Paul Brody of Gilboa; Richard Bamberger of Cobleskill; Andy Ennamorato of Oneonta; and Dave Leidy of Sidney.
Together, their experience with Boy Scouting equals more than a century.
The five were recognized at the council's annual awards dinner May 3 at the First United Methodist Church in Oneonta. They were among 145 people honored by the council for individual achievement.
"Volunteerism is our core. They run everything that we do," said Trey Miller, senior district executive for the Otschodela Council.
The council has 2,800 youth members in Otsego, Delaware and Schoharie counties.
Volunteers lead individual packs and troops, and assist with the operation of Camp Henderson on Crumhorn Mountain, among many other projects and activities, he said.
"They are the lifeblood of our organization," Miller said Thursday.
The Silver Beaver Award is the highest honor a council may give to an adult scouting member and is given for distinguished service to youth.
Established in 1931, the Silver Beaver has been awarded nearly 50,000 times.
The keynote speaker of the dinner was Assemblyman Pete Lopez, R-Schoharie, who was an Eagle Scout.
According to the council:
ä Van Houten was recognized as a valuable mentor to the youth of the council. She has served as a Tiger den leader and pack treasurer before becoming Troop 63's assistant scoutmaster and scoutmaster. Van Houten has served as a member of the Cub Scout Committee, Training Committee, Camping Committee, Advancement Committee, Order of the Arrow Chapter advisory committee, University of Scouting Committee, Wood Badge staff and the 2000 National Jamboree staff.
ä Brody was recognized for decades of service as both an adult volunteer and a Scout. He served as a committee member for Pack 25 and was scoutmaster for seven years. At the district and council level, Brody served as council venturing chairman, Cub Scout roundtable commissioner, unit commissioner, training committee member, Cub Scout committee member and provision scoutmaster to Boy Scout Camp Henderson.
ä Bamberger was involved as a youth with scouting programs in Herkimer and Oneida County, attaining the rank of Eagle Scout with Troop 113 in Frankfort. Since 1977, he has been an active, adult volunteer at the district and council levels. He served 21 years as the Delotscho District Committee as the district advancement chairman. He later became the first Deerslayer District chairman and served in that role for eight years.
ä Ennamorato became involved with Boy Scouting in 1940 with Troop 27 in Oneonta. He has been an active adult since 1962, first with Troop 27 and then with Troop 111. For more than four decades, Ennamorato has helped promote scouting through organizing new units. For the last 15 years, he has served as unit commissioner to Oneonta and helped individual units with program development.
ä Leidy became a Scout at age 11 and earned his Eagle Scout rank in May 1969. At the district and council levels, he served as committee member and chairman of Pack 34. He has also been an assistant scoutmaster and committee chairman for Troop 99. He most recently helped a council crew prepare to attend the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico this summer.
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