Corning man honored for impact on youth

Gary Mitchell said he wears his scouting uniform five to six days a week.

But Mitchell isn’t your typical boy scout.

At 43 years old, Mitchell is living a scouting life he didn’t take advantage of as a youth, providing countless volunteer hours for a cause he has a developed a passion for – Boy Scouts of America.

Recently, Mitchell learned his dedication earned him a prestigious scouting honor – the Silver Beaver Award.

“It wasn’t something I sought after,” he said. “This has been a deeply humbling experience.”

The Silver Beaver Award is the national council-level distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America. Recipients are registered adult scouting leaders who have made an impact on the lives of youth through service given to the council, according to Boy Scouts of America.

Nominations are made to area council for the award, and then a selection is made, based on those who implement the scouting program and perform community service through hard work, self-sacrifice, dedication, and many years of service.

Mitchell is the only scouting leader to have received the award in Corning.

He was hesitant to acknowledge that in 2011, the Boy Scouts of America Golden Empire Council bestowed Silver Beaver awards to only 19 out of 10,000 volunteers in the council from nine of 14 districts.

“I just wanted to have an impact on other of the importance of scouting,” Mitchell said.

As a youth he was involved in cub scouts and then boy scouts for a couple of years, before he dropped out.

“It wasn’t until I was an adult that I became interested in scouting again, you could say it was reversed engineered for me,” Mitchell said. “Today, I have a vision of what scouting can do for the youth. It teaches leadership skills, life skills, and provides opportunities that can affect a young man’s career choices and life choices. Those are all skills that would have been beneficial to me if I had stayed in scouting.”

As a bishop for the Corning congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Mitchell leads scouting Venturing Crew 108, and is the Executive Officer of Unit 108, which includes the cub scout and boy scout troop programs.

“Being a bishop is my public ministry,” he said. “Scouting is my private ministry, something I do my choice.”

Along with leading his venturing crew, Mitchell has been very active as a District Training Chairman, training others in scouting leadership.

“I hold the Silver Beaver Award in high esteem, and I’m so humbled that I was considered by my peers to be bestowed with this honor,” he said.

Mitchell received news he had earned the award on Dec. 14, and will be honored during a recognition dinner on Feb. 11, at California State University, Sacramento, at which time he will receive the silver beaver pendant and corresponding square knot pin.

Boy Scouts of America established the Silver Beaver Award in 1931, and it is presented to both men and women in the national scouting program.

“This is an award I will wear with great honor,” Mitchell said.