2007 Silver Beaver awards

Sixty-two longtime Boy Scout supporters were honored earlier this year with the prestigious Silver Beaver Award by the Great Salt Lake Council, Boy Scouts of America.

They received their awards at the Bountiful Regional Center.

Established in 1931, the Silver Beaver Award is presented for distinguished service to young people within a BSA local council. More than 50,000 recognitions nationwide have been conferred to date.

The Great Salt Lake Council directs some 76,000 young men in an area that includes all of Salt Lake County and stretches northward into Farmington, eastward to Park City and westward to Tooele.

Since 1932, more than 1,760 men and women have received the award in the Great Salt Lake Council.

A Silver Beaver recipient must be a registered adult member of the BSA. The awards are bestowed at appropriate local functions and are presented on the basis of the number of units in a council.

The Silver Beaver Award is presented upon action of a Council Executive Board of one of the BSA's local councils or the Direct Service Council for outstanding service to youths within the council or for outstanding longtime service to youths by a registered Scouter residing within that council.

The tenure for Silver Beaver candidates is usually 10 years or longer. Career members of the Boy Scouts of America may receive this award upon concurrence of the council Scout executive and the director of operations at the national BSA office.

Candidates must be nominated by others. Self-nomination disqualifies the candidate.

The Great Salt Lake Council of the Boy Scouts began in 1919 and is one of the 50 oldest Scout councils in the nation. It is also one of the largest.

The council is directed by an estimated 30,000 volunteers.