White named Scoutmaster of the Year

Wednesday, 30 March 2011 08:16

Duane White Named

Scoutmaster of the Year

On January 19, 2011, Scout Leader Duane White was awarded the Scoutmaster of the Year award at the Kaskaskia District Awards Dinner for his dedicated service to troop 47. This award is given by each scout district in the council. A district committee chooses who receives the award based on applications turned in by other volunteers. duane white scoutmaster of year

Duane began his career in the Scouts in 1980 when his oldest son signed up to join. Duane was asked to be on the planning committee for the Johnston City troop, a year later he became a scout leader. His responsibilities as a scout leader are to promote the Boy Scout of America’s mission of preparing young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetime by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law. His previous awards, such as the District Award of Merit in 1988 and the Silver Beaver Award in 1991, show he has by far and largely succeeded in this mission helping many young men to achieve Eagle Scout requirements over his many years of volunteer service. He consistently goes above and beyond the call of volunteerism to provide activities for the boys in his troop to participate in.

When asked why he has remained so dedicated and involved all these years, Duane replied, “The program itself, the Boy Scouts of America remains the foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership

training in America. The fun and adventures of the outings, the reward of seeing each boy achieve and grow; scouting has really become a part of my life… There are way too many benefits that I gain from doing this. The friendships that I have formed, the memories that I have, the places I have been able to see all have come from giving time to help promote this program.” He believes all youth should become involved in Boy Scouts, stating, “The boys that have participated in our program have done things that they normally would never have been able to do, such as climb a 12,000 ft. mountain in New Mexico, back-packing for 10 days to get there and back, swimming in the ocean, turning an empty field into the second largest city in Virginia inhabited entirely by scouts during the National Jamboree, camping in Yellowstone National Park, sleeping on an aircraft carrier, walking in the footsteps of Abraham Lincoln during the Springfield Pilgrimage, spend weeks on end in tents in more states than I can count and learn skills that will be with them for a lifetime. Why don’t they get involved? I think is a better question than why should they?”

“Duane goes above and beyond to provide activities for the boys in the troop to participate in. Many young men have completed their Eagle requirements because of his leadership,” says merit badge counselor Katie Russell of White’s dedication. Katie’s son, Dakota is in White’s troop.

White’s troop, Troop 47, has twenty youth members ranging from eleven, to eighteen years of age. This year Troop 47 was awarded the Centennial Quality Unit Award on top of Duane’s Scoutmaster of the Year Award.

Last Updated (Sunday, 14 August 2011 16:05)