The Central North Carolina Council, Boy Scouts of America, hosted the Annual Leaders Recognition Banquet March 5.
Adult volunteer leaders were recognized for their commitment to young people in Anson, Cabarrus, Montgomery, Richmond, Rowan, Stanly and Union counties.
The Silver Beaver Award, the highest award bestowed by a local council, was presented to adult volunteers. Richard E. Clayton, senior vice president of First Bank and council president, and Council Scout Executive Greg Graham presented the awards.
Recipient of the Silver Beaver Award in Cabarrus County was Charles A. Bowman. Bowman has influenced young people for more than 20 years through Scouting.
He served as Scoutmaster for 13 years and is the troop committee chairman. He is also District Advancement Chairman, ensuring that boards of review at the Star, Life and Eagle levels are fair and operated according to BSA policy.
Active in the Order of Arrow, he has been involved in leadership support roles for many years and served as the lodge adviser to the Area Five Conclave in 2000 and 2001.
A consistent donor in the Friends of Scouting campaign, he is a community chairman. A former youth soccer coach and president of the local high school band booster club, he is a member of Ursinus United Church of Christ, having served as elder and deacon. He is in his second term as alderman for the town of Rockwell.
Recipients of the Silver Beaver in Rowan County were Timothy Doyle Smith and James Christopher Thompson.
Smith has volunteered with Scouting for almost 20 years. He served as assistant Cubmaster in the Cub Scout pack at the church and is credited with building the church troop from a membership of two in 1995 to one with an annual average registration of 35 to 40. He has presented more than 30 Eagle Scout awards.
He has traveled with Scouts to Washington, Philadelphia, the Florida Sea Base and Camp John J. Barnhardt.
He is an entrepreneur and and involved in the community. Active at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Salisbury, he teaches a seventh-grade Sunday school class and was part of the building fund campaign.
Thompson has been a registered adult volunteer for nearly 30 years; since 1988, he has been Scoutmaster of a troop with an active program.
Thompson is involved in community-wide recruiting and as merit badge counselor at advancement manias. He has volunteered at Camp John J. Barnhardt and designed the camp-wide electrical system.
Involved in support of the band and sports adult organizations in the local high school, he is active at First Baptist Church of China Grove.
Venture Crew 402, chartered by Salisbury Custom Woodwork LLC, provided entertainment. Its members are from the jazz and marching bands from West Rowan High School. Eagle Scout Daniel Trivette is the volunteer adviser and music director.
Josh Brophy, a member of Troop 401 of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Salisbury, was recognized for having completed 119 of the merit badges in the Boy Scout Advancement program.
New Boy Scouts Alex Simmons and Jacob Abel, Cub Scouts in Pack 34, chartered by Mount Olivet United Methodist Church in Kannapolis, and Noah Barnhardt, Pack 159, chartered by Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church, were recognized for being the highest individual salesmen in the annual popcorn sale.
Eagle Scout Bill Graham, partner in the law firm of Wallace and Graham, P.A. in Salisbury and 2008 candidate for governor, gave the keynote remarks. He saluted the positive efforts of every Scouting adult for providing a constant in a time of change. That constant is in outdoor and advancement experiences that lead to individual and group development.
The Central North Carolina Council serves Anson, Cabarrus, Montgomery, Richmond, Rowan, Stanly and Union Counties. For more information call 704-982-0141 or e-mail the council office at cncbsa@bsamail.org.