Sunday 12 July 2009

Western Region DSA Class

Here is a description of the DSA or Distinguished Service Award:
The Distinguished Service Award was created in 1940 to honor those who rendered service to the Order beyond the lodge level. The award is presented to those Arrowmen who have rendered distinguished and outstanding service to the Order on a sectional, regional, or national basis. The award is presented every two years during NOAC. Since the time the first awards were presented, less than 750 Distinguished Service Awards have been presented.
Here are the people who earned the Awards this time around in the Western Region:
  • Michael Bliss Mike has served as a Lodge and Section Adviser. Mike was serving as the Area 1 Region OA Vice Chairman before his appointment as the Western Region OA Chairman. Mike serves on the Region and Section Operations Sub- Committee. Mike is an Eagle Scout and Vigil Honor member of the Lo La’Qam Geela Lodge in the Central Point Council in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
  • Toby Capps Toby has served as Lodge and Section Adviser. Toby has served as the Area 1 Region OA Vice Chairman. Toby serves on the National OA Committee and works with the Marketing Sub- Committee. Toby is an Eagle Scout and Vigil Honor member of the T’Kope Kwiswis Lodge in the Chief Seattle Council in Seattle, Washington.
  • Evan Chaffee Evan has served as Lodge Vice Chief and Section Chief before his election as the 2007 National OA Chief. Evan represented the OA during the 2007 Annual Report to the Nation. Evan is an Eagle Scout and Vigil Honor member of the Wiatava Lodge in the Orange County Council in Costa Mesa, California.
  • Tom Fitzgibbon Tom is the Western Region BSA Director. Tom oversees the operations and programs of the BSA in the Western Region. Tom has been serving as Regional Director since 2000. Tom is a member of the Direct Service Lodge and is a past Scout Executive of Denver Area Council
  • Mark Hendricks Mark has served as a Lodge and Section Chief before his election as the 2008 Western Region Chief. Mark served on the ArrowCorps5 Icorps staff working and traveling to all five ArrowCorps5 sites. Mark is an Eagle Scout and Vigil Honor Member of the Wa-La-Moot-Kin Lodge in the Blue Mountain Council in Kennewick, Washington.
  • Andrew Kuhlman Andrew has served as a Lodge officer and Section Chief. Andrew was the CVC of the Communications Committee at the 2004 NOAC. Andrew is a Eagle Scout and Vigil Honor member of the Kola Lodge in the Longs Peak Council in Greeley, Colorado.
  • Bruce Mayfield Bruce has served as a Lodge and Section Adviser. Bruce currently serves as the Area 3 Region OA Vice Chairman and Council Commissioner for the Redwood Empire Council. Bruce is an Eagle Scout and Vigil Honor Member of the Orca Lodge in the Redwood Empire Council.
  • Kieran Thompson Kieran has served as a Lodge and Section Chief before his election as the 2006 Western Region Chief. Kieran is an Eagle Scout and Vigil Honor of the Siwinis Lodge in the Los Angeles Area Council in California.
  • Jake Wellman Jake has served as a Lodge and Section Chief before his election as the 2008 National OA Chief. Jake represented the OA in 2008 with the BSA Annual Report to the Nation. Jake is an Eagle Scout and Vigil Honor member of the Yah-Tah-Hey-Si-Kess Lodge in the Great Southwest Council in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
  • Chad Wolver Chad has served as a Lodge and Section Chief before his election as the 2007
    Western Region Chief. Chad is an Eagle Scout and Vigil Honor member of the Wipala Wiki Lodge inthe Grand Canyon Council in Phoenix, Arizona.
Congratulations to all recipients of this prestigious award.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

Quote of the Week- Time Management

Ordinary people think merely of spending time. Great people think of using it.
Author Unknown

Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year - and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!
Anthony Robbins

You’re writing the story of your life one moment at a time.
Doc Childre and Howard Martin

This is the beginning of a new day.
God has given me this day to use as I will.
I can waste it or use it for good.
What I do today is important, because
I am exchanging a day of my life for it.
When tomorrow comes,
this day will be gone forever,
leaving in its place something
that I have traded for it.
I want it to be gain, not loss;
good not evil; success not failure;
in order that I shall not regret
the price I paid for it.
Author Unknown

One worthwhile task carried to a successful conclusion is worth half-a-hundred half-finished tasks.
Malcolm S. Forbes

Time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the only thing he can’t afford to lose.
Thomas Edison

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

World Scout loses a Regional Director

Gone home: Kinuthia Murugu, former Africa Regional Director

NAIROBI, 9 July 2009 - The Scout fraternity today woke up to the saddest news of the passing of the former Regional Director for the World Scout Bureau, Africa Regional Office. Maj. (Rtd) Kinuthia Murugu passed away at 3.35 am [GMT +3] at Nairobi Hospital. This untimely and shocking demise is the result of an armed carjacking incident that occurred on 19 June 2009.

Murugu diligently served as the Regional Director for Africa for the World Scout Bureau from 2001 to 2006. At the time of his death, he was Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth and Sports, in the Government of Kenya. News of his passing comes as a shock to many who knew him. In a message to his friends, relatives and family Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka says that:

“Mr. Kinuthia had performed exemplarily well as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of State for Youth Affairs and lately the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The country has lost a dedicated Public Servant.”The Vice President said he had worked with the late Permanent Secretary for many years in the Scout movement and knew him as a hardworking and focused young leader, who inspired the youth with his leadership qualities and mobilization skills.

As Regional Director, he was instrumental in crafting the landmark blueprint ''Ten Year Development Plan for Africa.'' In line with this plan, he set out to transform Africa into a Scout Region with self-sustaining National Scout Organizations able to contribute to the education of young people and the betterment of African society. In addition, he developed the Jacobs Leadership Project that aimed to equip Scouts with leadership skills. In the area of partnerships, his tenure saw an improvement in the collaboration with other Regions, NSOs and development partners. Projects with the Danish and Norwegian development agencies (DANIDA and NORAD) are a testimony to this observation.

Maj. (Rtd) Murugu had a long and varied engagement with youth organizations and was a major advocate for youth issues in his home country of Kenya. He started Scouting at the Starehe Boys Centre going on to achieve the highest badge for a young person, the Lion Scout Badge, in 1979. He then went on to become a Troop Leader and later a Rover Crew Leader at the University of Nairobi where he graduated with a Degree in Business Administration. Murugu had a strong personal experience and commitment in the development of young people. He also served in a voluntary capacity as an Executive Committee member of the President's Award Scheme, of which he was also a Gold Award holder.

His passing was received with great consternation by many with whom he served the Scout Movement. All in World Scouting grieve his loss and send their condoleances to his family and friends.

May his soul rest in eternal peace.

Please keep his family and friends in your prayers.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

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