The Norwela Council, Boy Scouts of America presented Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Robert J. Elder, Jr. with the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award at its Annual Recognition Dinner on March 4.
The Distinguished Eagle Scout Award (DESA) was established in 1969 to acknowledge Eagle Scouts who have received extraordinary national-level recognition, fame, or demonstrated eminence within their field, and have a strong record of voluntary service to their community. It is among the Boy Scouts of America’s highest honors. Only Eagle Scouts who earned the Eagle Scout rank a minimum of 25 years previously are eligible for nomination. Since its inception less than 2,500 Eagle Scouts have been recognized with the DESA.
“We are thrilled to honor Gen. Elder with this award. He is most deserving of this recognition. To give an idea of how prestigious it is he is only the third recipient in the history of the Norwela Council and the first since 1977.”
The DESA has gained prominent standing among Scouting recognitions. Previous recipients include President Gerald R. Ford, several governors and senators, military flag officers, university presidents, chief executive officers of Fortune 500 companies, and nationally known lawyers, educators, and doctors.
Joe Corby and Dr. Ken Peterson were also recognized at the dinner with the Silver Beaver, the highest award a Council can bestow on a volunteer. Dr. Brian Dockendorf and Kyle McInnis were presented the Outstanding Eagle Scout Award.
The 2020 Class of Eagle Scouts and Arrows of Light were also recognized. Ryan Lee was honored with the Venturing Summit Award and many other volunteers were recognized for their service and contributions to Scouting in northwest Louisiana.
The Norwela Council, Boy Scouts of America serves more than 2,500 families across northwest Louisiana. Headquartered in Shreveport, the Norwela Council partners with schools, service clubs, PTAs/PTOs, religious organizations, local agencies, and more to offer programs in nine parishes for girls and boys ages 6-21 that have been proven to foster and strengthen self-confidence, ethics, respect for others, academic skills, and leadership abilities that stay with them their entire lives. For more information on the Norwela Council please visit norwela.org.
