County commissioners to receive Distinguished Citizens Award from Moraine Trails Council
Three individuals and one company, each with a history of supporting the community, will be recognized by Moraine Trails Council on Thursday, June 5.
County Commissioners Leslie Osche, Kim Geyer and Kevin Boozel are set to receive the Distinguished Citizens Award from the Moraine Trails Council, a local council of Scouting America. The council will also recognize Armstrong as its Company of the Year.
Ray Tennent, Scout executive for the council, said the commissioners were chosen for their care for the community shown through their attendance and support of organizations and their events. He also offered insight into the reason behind Armstrong’s selection.
“Armstrong was selected as the Company of the Year, for the company’s support of charitable causes as well as employing many people in our area,” Tennent said in a release. “Armstrong has been a strong supporter of the Boy Scouts of America, now known as Scouting America.”
Tennent said he helped to start the program in 2010 as a fundraiser. He said hosting the ceremony was able to turn the council around financially and helped to keep Camp Bucoco running.
While the award is traditionally given to one person, Tennent explained that the selection committee wanted to award all three commissioners at the same time instead of awarding one each year.
Geyer thanked the council for the honor, and passed forward congratulations to Armstrong for their award.
“They’re a big partner of the county. They’ve generously supported many county-led events over the years,” Geyer said.
She took the opportunity to thank county employees for their work, as she said the commissioners would not be able to do what they do without that support.
“They deserve a lot of respect,” Geyer said. “I’m proud of our county’s team.”
Having attended many Eagle Scout presentations, she said she knows that both the county and country will be left in good hands in the future.
Osche said she was thankful for the award, but wants focus to be on supporting the council and Scouting as a whole.
“(The ceremony) is about supporting the organization and get the funds to keep Moraine Trails Council on good financial footing,” Osche said.
She said her own involvement in the Girl Scouts and her time as a cubmaster gave her a strong belief in Scouting America’s mission. She said she hopes to see more and more children get involved with Scouting locally.
Boozel said he felt humbled when he received the news that himself and the other commissioners were chosen for the award. Being a former cubmaster, he said he’s especially honored to be receiving an award from a local council.
“It’s a really nice event,” Boozel said. “It brings the community out. It’s always great to see the Scouts.”
Tennent said the council saw 2% growth in the past year, a positive sign for local Scouting. He said the council is always looking to start new programs, but will require additional funding to do so.
“If we can keep those life skills being taught at camp, I think that’s vital for our kids,” Tennent said. “Scouting teaches a lot of leadership skills and teamwork. Those are timeless values that Scouting instills.”
According to the release, Camp Bucoco’s summer merit badge program is expected to have more than 200 Scouts participate. In addition, the council will have over a thousand youth at various camporees, at-risk youth programs, and Cub Scout family camps.
