The Silver Beaver Award is the council-level distinguished service award of Scouting America. Recipients of the award are registered adult leaders who have made an impact on the lives of youth through service given to the council.
Those deemed worthy of the award by their local council must be approved by the National Court of Honor. Upon their approval, recipients are presented with a silver beaver pendant suspended from a blue and white ribbon, as well as the corresponding square knot.
History The Silver Beaver was introduced in 1931 as a pin-on medal, but due to the heavy weight of the medallion it was switched over to a neck ribbon in mid-1932. A blue-white-blue ribbon bar was introduced in 1934 for informal uniform wear. In 1946, ribbon bars were replaced by the current knot insignia.
The Silver Beaver was initially awarded only to men. The Silver Fawn Award, an equivalent for women, was awarded starting in 1971. It used the same knot insignia, but on a blue background, as women were mostly involved in Cub Scouting during this period. The Silver Fawn was discontinued and the Silver Beaver began to be awarded to women in 1974. A total of 2,455 Silver Fawns were awarded to outstanding women for support of Cub Scouting before the award was discontinued in 1974.
Using the United States Military as the model, silver awards are the highest awards in Scouting America. Scouting America currently awards three silver awards, the Silver Beaver, the Silver Antelope and the Silver Buffalo.
Notable recipients
Elliot Quincy Adams Dean Alford Thomas D. Allen Marvin J. Ashton Brent F. Ashworth Charles August Ellsworth Hunt Augustus Mark Evans Austad Béla H. Bánáthy Curtis H. Barnette Harold Roe Bartle Charles J. Bates Charles E. Bayless Kevin Beary Julius W. Becton Jr. Ezra Taft Benson Richard J. Berry Lester E. Bond Howard P. Boyd Pat Boyd John F. Brady Rodney H. Brady Holly Broadbent Sr. Carl W. Buehner Hal Bunderson Allen M. Burdett Jr. Harris Burgoyne M. Anthony Burns Ross Erin Butler Sr. Chris Buttars Matt Cartwright Bernard A. Clarey Richard A. Compton Hazen A. Dean Albert W. Dent John Randolph Donnell Gordon R. England Bob Etheridge David C. Evans Michael D. Fascitelli Abraham J. Feldman George Fischbeck Craig Fitzhugh Mike Fitzpatrick Karen Fraser Ronald Alan Fritzsche Ken Garff Sandy Garrett Lloyd D. George John Gottschalk Francis A. Gregory Terry L. Grove Robert E. Guglielmone Wayne B. Hales Lee Heider Francisco Joglar Herrero Lewis Blaine Hershey George R. Hill III James G. Howes Peter W. Hummel Brad Hutto Paul Ilyinsky Peter Johnsen John C. Keegan William H. Keeler Walter Kidde Edgar J. Lauer Walter Livingston David M. Lockton Charles L. Mader Thomas P. Mahammitt François E. Matthes Morton D. May James M. McCoy Joseph Melrose Robert Mitchell Keith Monroe Thomas S. Monson Ellie Morrison Roger Mosby Horace A. Moses Wendell Nedderman Leonard Niederlehner Dan Ownby Ephraim Laurence Palmer Edward A. Pease Hector Perez Wayne M. Perry Hollie Pihl Skip Priest Ben Reifel Mark Ricks Brooks Robinson Emanuel A. Romero Edward L. Rowan Dan Rusanowsky Marvin Scott Robert G. Shaw, Sr Robert H. Shaffer Mark Shurtleff Max I. Silber Delford M. Smith George Albert Smith Robert Hall Smith Vaughn Soffe Carl E. Stewart Raymond H. Stockard Thomas L. Tatham John R. Taylor III Dick Vermeil Frank H. Wadsworth Walter Washington Laurence Hawley Watres Lance B. Wickman Lester B. Wikoff Cardis Cardell Willis Jack Zink Peter Zug
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