MARQUETTE — Recently at Northern Michigan University’s Northern Center, the Hiawathaland District of the Bay-Lakes Council, Boy Scouts of America, held its annual recognition banquet for its volunteers and celebrated growing membership in their Scouting programs of Cub Scouts & Scouts, BSA by 18.5% in 2022.

“Growing by this much here in the Upper Peninsula means there is a demand among families for Cub Scouts and Scouts, BSA. We are eager to work with parents in communities without one of our programs to build an organizational committee to form one,” said Hiawathaland District Director Patrick O’Brien in a news release.

Every year U.P. Scouting Volunteers gather nominations for different awards to help recognize all the hard work the volunteers do all year long to make sure Scouting’s impactful programs happen in communities across the Upper Peninsula.

The Hiawathaland District would like to congratulate the following volunteers:

Unit Committee Member of the Year Award: Andy Gavlek, Escanaba/Gladstone Cub Scout

Cubmaster of the Year Award: Jose Garcia, MarquetteScouts,

BSA Scoutmaster of the Year Award: Kurt Galbreath, Marquette

Partner Organization of the Year: FedEx Ground Escanaba Office

Scouter Spirit Award: Kirsten Matthews, Marquette Area

Silver Spoon Award for best Cook: Brad Farley, Gladstone

Key Scouter Award, they were key to the success of Cub Scouts in their Community: Gary Howell and Bobbi Farley of Gladstone

District Award of Merit is the highest award the Hiawathaland District can give to a volunteer: Steve Soderman, Escanaba and Kevin Walkey, Escanaba

They also had the pleasure of awarding the highest honor the Bay-Lakes Council can award a volunteer, the Silver Beaver Award: Gary Sabol, Iron River/Caspian

Parents can visit BeAScout.org for more information and register a child for Cub Scouts (ages 5-10) and to learn more about Scouting in the community and its programs, the benefits and experience.

Local Scouts, BSA Troops for Boys and for Girls are also accepting new members ages 11-17 years old.

Locally, Hiawathaland District Director Patrick O’Brien can answer any questions parents have patrick.obrien@scouting.org or 920-419-8401.

About Boy Scouts of America: The Boy Scouts of America provides the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared. For Life.®”

Serving both boys and girls in all of its programs, the Scouting organization is composed of over 1 million youth members between the ages of 5 and 21 and approximately 740,000 volunteers in local councils throughout the United States and its territories.

For more information on the Boy Scouts of America, visit www.scouting.org.