Sussex Boy Scouts receive honors

Awards were the order of the day March 16 during the annual Sussex Scouting District recognition banquet at the Lewes Yacht Club.

Sussex District scouts donated more than 83,000 hours of community service in 2012, which represents 42 percent of the total in the Delmarva Council from just 8 percent of the members.

Council CEO Jason Pierce thanked the adult leaders for their commitment to scouting. “Volunteers are what is special about scouting. Thank you for changing lives. Scouts may not say it now, but one day they will,” he said.

Pierce said there are about 10,000 scouts in the council with the Sussex District's growth rate of 4 percent as the best in the region.

Top presentations included Eagle Scout, Scouting Family of the Year, Unit of the Year and District Award of Merit awards.

Eagle Scouts from Sussex District in 2012 included the following:

Crew 2540 in Nassau, sponsored by Elks Lodge 2540: Michael Wright.

Ship 198 in Milton, sponsored by Broadkill Marina: Ryan Mock.

Troop 89, sponsored by Lions Club of Millsboro: Alex Robb, Parker Thoroughgood, Jacob Townsend, Jason Hickman, Chad Bensick, Jarad Godwin, Brandon Veasey and Dustin Williams.

Troop 90 in Laurel, sponsored by Centenary United Methodist Church: Ian Lankford.

Troop 95 in Georgetown, sponsored by Wesley U.M. Church: Douglas Myers, Spencer Tober, Avery Withers, Matthew Oldland, Gregory Manhard, David Williamson and Travis Caraway.

Troop 105 in Long Neck, sponsored by Pot Nets Inc.: Samuel Brennan.

Troop 281 in Ocean View, sponsored by Lord Baltimore Lions Club: Jacob Rickards, Christopher Chapdelaine and Jacob Martin.

Troop 381 in Seaford, sponsored by Woodland U.M. Church: Matthew Zoller, Michael Mahetta, John Wilson and Brendan Liffers.

Troop 584 in Seaford, sponsored by LDS Seaford Ward: Lance Cain.

Troop 2540 in Nassau, sponsored by Elks Lodge 2540: Michael Martin, Marshall Brown, Julien DeAngelis, Matthew Hurlock and Daniel Lowe.

Scouting families of the year include: Monica Mohr and her children, Cierra, Alex and Colin who are involved with Pack 182 in Seaford and the Ables family, including Ben, Kristen, Zack, Christopher and Nicholas, who are involved with Pack 95 and Troop 95 in Georgetown.

The district's highest award, the District Award of Merit, was presented to two local volunteers:

Ron Kernehan, district community service chairman, and Joan Sharp, for her commitment to scouting over the years and most recently her association with Sea Scouts in Milton. Kernehan, who was drafted into Boy Scouts because he has daughters, has also been awarded the Silver Beaver Award, the Delmarva Council's highest volunteer honor.

The Unit of the Year Award was presented to Troop 281 in Ocean View.

Troop 90 in Laurel was honored for the highest number of service hours per member – an average of 107 hours each – as well as the greatest percentage increase in hours per member over 2011 – more than 1,000 percent.

Pack 182 in Seaford had the greatest number of hours per member for district Cub Scouts with an average of 275 hours per member. The pack also had the greatest increase in hours per member at nearly 975 percent. Leaders of the pack also received the Governors Volunteerism Award for Community Service.

Ship 198 in Milton had the highest numbers of hours per member at 262, as well as the greatest increase in hours at nearly 2,000 percent.

Troop 1 and Pack 1, sponsored by Bethel U.M. Church in Lewes, and Ship 198 were honored as the units with the most advancements.