Silver Beaver Award

Thank-you for serving as the sponsor for your candidate’s Silver Beaver Nomination. Your completed nomination package is due electronically via our submission portal to the Selection Committee by November 1st. It’s suggested that you coordinate your efforts with your District leadership.

The following are suggestions (not requirements) for developing a nomination package:

You should complete the Baltimore Area Council Nomination Form, write a Nomination Justification Statement and assemble Letters of Support/Recommendation that address your candidates “noteworthy service of exceptional character to youth by registered  Scouters, Cub Scouters, Varsity Scouters, and Venturing leaders” at the Council level. There is a limit of 10 Letters of Recommendation. Nominating Statements should NOT be included in your Letters.

Nomination criteria/discriminators have changed. In the past, the focus was on defining the individual. The focus is now (and should be) on how the candidate “rendered service of an outstanding nature at the Council level” – specifically on how it affected/supported the Scouts in our Council. The nature and value of “noteworthy service to youth” may consist of service or a series of activities that contributed vitally to the lives of large numbers of youth or it may have been given to a small group over an extended period of time, or both.

• A nominee must have rendered noteworthy service to youth in Scouting, youth within  the community, or both.
• Consideration is given to the nominee’s Scouting position and the corresponding opportunity to render outstanding service beyond the normal expectations of that Scouting position.
• The nominee’s attitude toward and cooperation with the District and/or Council should be taken into consideration. Examples of significant support at a Council level are:
  • Dedicated extended service to the Council supporting all our units in activities such as staffing Wood Badge, Volunteer Training Summit, Powder Horn, other council training activities or active with the OA at the lodge level.
  • Significant/repeated service to District level events (Camporee, Klondike, Cub Scout Summer Camp, Fishing Derby etc. – whether through a unit, as an event staffer, or event chair).
  • Significant/repeated service to District or Council-sponsored community service projects that go beyond just one unit (Scouting for Food, Bay Cleanup, Beaver Workdays at Broad Creek, etc.).
  • Service to youth in the greater community outside of Scouting (i.e. – Church, youth sports, homeless shelters, clothing drives, conservation groups, Red Cross volunteer, etc.).
• Have the letters quantify (numbers of youth supported or dates service was provided) and substantiate (scope and nature of service) the noteworthy service. Letters that simply state that the Scouter is deserving of the award do not describe the noteworthy service and do not help the Scouter.
• Try to also capture noteworthy service to youth that occurs through areas such as work, faith, community activities (i.e. coaching sports, serving the American Legion, serving other youth organizations etc.) as well as Scouting.
• Contact the spouse or close friend of your nominee to determine the Scouting positions, training, and awards the nominee has earned. Work with them to develop a contact list with email and phone numbers of the people you will need to contact such as:
  • Scouters who have worked with the candidate
  • Family and Non-Scouting friends
  • Employer and co-workers
  • People from other youth organizations that have worked with the candidate
  • Schools
  • Civic or Patriotic organizations
  • Pastors, Youth Ministers, or Church Committees
  • District Chair, Vice-Chair(s), Commissioner, etc.
  • Council Chairs the candidate has worked with, as well as council committee
    members
• Ask your contacts to refer you to others to help develop Letters of Support/Recommendation. It’s helpful to keep track of whom you contacted and the status of their letters.
• Send each contact an email requesting a Letter of Support/Recommendation. A sample message that you can use is attached. 
• Contact the nominee’s District Executive (DE) to get a status of your candidates Record of Service; Training Courses Completed; Recognition Received. You will need this information to complete the Nomination Form. If the DE does not have all the information, contact the nominees Committee Chair, Scoutmaster and spouse or friend and have them help you.
• As the sponsor, you will need to write a Nomination Justification Statement. This should be provided separately from your Letters of Recommendation. 
  • Your letter is critical as it summarizes and justifies why you are nominating the Scouter.
  • In your letter, introduce the Scouter and write about the Scouters noteworthy service to youth.
  • You will need to capture specific examples and describe outcomes/accomplishments. Use your personal experience/knowledge and examples provided in the letters of support/recommendation.