A Special song for a Special guy

On Saturday Mark and I attended a banquet and awards ceremony put on by the Boy Scouts of America.  The Silver Beaver award is the highest recognition award for volunteers the Utah National Parks Council gives.  You have to be nominated, approved by the selection committee and have to have served for many years as an exceptional leader to receive this award.  Mark was nominated this year and received the Silver Beaver award.  

It was quite a big deal.  The banquet was held at the Wilkinson Center at BYU.  That was close for us, about a 15 minute drive but there were people that came much further.  There were scouters there from St. George, Manti, Hurricane, Cedar City, Genola, Enoch and more places I've never heard of.

They had a nice program printed up with all of the award recipient's pictures and a little write-up from the people that nominated each honoree.  Mark's read:

"In 2007 Mark took on the responsibility to lead a Kodiak course training Varsity and Venturing aged Scouts.  There were about 70 participants and the course was a great success, changing the lives of many of the youth and youth staff as well as the adult leaders.  Mark teaches Venturing at roundtables and is one of the elite leaders in Scouting today."

Here's a little extra bragging, I mean information, about Mark's scouting experiences:

 

This Kodiak course that Mark ran was the largest that has ever been attempted by one group.  It was a lot of work and was, indeed, a success.

Mark has also served on staff at Woodbadge, a week-long adult leadership course, 5-6 times and will be leading one as course director next summer.  

Mark loves scouting but he didn't always.  He hated it when he was first called as Young Men's president back when Carly and Rachel were small.  1997-1998.  He did not grow up with a strong scouting program when he was a teenager.  He had a break from Young Men's while we lived in Brigham City the next 3 years but the week we moved back to Orem, September 2001, he was called as Young Men's president again.  He has served almost constantly in that position for the last 7 years.  He went from Ward YM president to Stake YM president about a year or so ago.  

When his leaders asked him to get trained in scouting, he didn't hesitate to jump in with both feet even though he was not excited about it.  He always tries to give 100% in his callings.  As he became familiar with the program and went to the training he was asked to go to he developed a love for the scouting program.  He believes in it.  He volunteers more than he has to for his calling because he wants others to become believers too and it takes volunteers to run the program effectively.  Sometimes I have resented the time he spends  with the scouting program.  I try not to but I have at times not understood his devotion.  Over the last couple of years I have begun to understand it more and I AM proud of him and his desire to serve.  

If my man's got to have a hobby.... this is a good one.  

He does not come home drunk from scout meetings.  He does not pick up chicks at scout meetings.  He does not gamble at scout meetings.  He learns, he serves, he helps.  I can live with that.  

After a nice dinner: mashed potatoes, stuffing, pork loin w/cranberry sauce, green beans, salad and a little chocolate tart, Mark & I went to sit in an appointed location with all of the other honorees.  I was his "escort".  In rows we went to the stage where one at a time each honoree and escort walked up on the stage.  As someone read his bio from the program, they gave Mark his framed certificate and hung a silver  beaver medallion on a ribbon around his neck.  They also gave me a tiny silver beaver on a blue ribbon for my support of his service.  I thought that was nice.  We walked off of the stage, took our picture by some flags and then Mark was to sit on a raised platform with all of the other honorees while I was escorted back to my table.  

When all the honorees had received their awards and were sitting on the platform they said a few words about what it means to be a recipient of the Silver Beaver award and then a gentleman who had written a song especially for this occasion sang to them.  I noticed Mark looking over at him, smiling real big, then looking down.  I was quite a distance from him & couldn't see him really clearly to understand his expressions.   The song was a little cheesy and not something I would expect Mark to enjoy so I wondered at his smile.  

The program ended and I met him coming off the platform.  He was still grinning and whispered to me that he was having a very hard time controlling his urge to laugh out loud during the song because all he could think of was this image.......

You know... that's so unusual for Mark to find the silly side of things... He's usually soooo serious!