WILMINGTON — The R. E. Hadley District (Clinton County) held its annual awards banquet on May 1 at Damon’s Grill, Wilmington.
This year for the first time the R.E. Hadley Distinguished Community Service Award was presented to Gene Williams, who has more than 50 years of service to the Boy Scouts of America program. His service included 33 years as the Scoutmaster of BSA Troop 97 in New Vienna, district commissioner, district chairman, and a member of the Tecumseh Council Executive Board in Springfield.
He also received the District Award of Merit and the Silver Beaver Award — the highest award that Tecumseh Council can give to an adult leader.
In addition, he led his troop on six 12-day outdoor field trips to the national BSA Philmont Scout Ranch, where they climbed mountains up to 12,000 feet.
While Scoutmaster of Troop 97, 26 Scouts earned the Eagle Scout Award.
Other district awards presented for community service were the District Award of Merit to Bob Moon Troop 999, STARWANAMEK to Lucas Rayburn Troop 47, and the Agitator Award to Mike Welch Troop 999.
Guest speaker was Robert E. Hadley’s son, Robert Hadley, who discussed his father’s legacy to the Boy Scout program in Clinton County and Tecumseh Council.
The council serves the five counties of Logan, Champaign, Clark, Greene and Clinton with more than 3,220 youth and over 1,376 adult leaders through 129 Scouting units.
