Matt Wilcox:

This candidate for the Silver Beaver Award is a true native Vermonter.

He grew up on his family’s dairy farm in Manchester.  The farm has been in his family for many generations, and is famous for its ice cream, which is distributed all over the state.

He was an active Cub Scout, and the mother of his best friend was his Den Leader.  She is still an active Scouter today.  He did not go on to Boy Scouting, due in part to the demands of his farm work.

Our candidate graduated from Burr and Burton Seminary, where he played basketball, and then went to the University of Vermont.  After college, he became a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Financial Planner, and now works for a firm in Montpelier.

He has always loved to ski, and gets out whenever he can.  He joined his best friend’s family on a legendary ski trip to Colorado, where all of their Vermont skills were tested in a giant snowstorm—but they came through in the end, got to Denver, and had a great time.

When our candidate was asked to join our board, he remembered all the fun he had had as a Cub Scout, and said it was time to give something back.

He certainly did that, serving the Green Mountain Council as Treasurer for nearly a decade.  As Treasurer, he has shown concern for the council’s finances, strong analytical skills, and complete fairness in his assessments.  He is at every meeting, and is always prepared, even when work presses him.  In addition, this candidate is a pleasure to work with, a genuinely nice person, and a real exemplar of the Scout Oath and Law.

I am honored and privileged to present Matthew Wilcox, as a recipient of the Green Mountain
Council’s Highest Council Award, the Silver Beaver.

Fran Schlesinger:

This recipient has an unwavering devotion to family, church, Scouting and enormous dedication to helping others.

Is Wood Badge trained, and has been on every Wood Badge staff since earning the beads, and has devoted time to the youth of our council in both the Junior Leader Training Course and National Youth Leadership Training , working tirelessly around the clock serving as a medic within the Green Mountain Council.

To say this recipient is an organizer is an understatement able to keep program moving, corralling even the rowdiest Scouter back to task,  pulling information and materials together so trainings and programs flow effortlessly, and always with a smile.

This recipient has a deep compassion for others, evident in the vocation of nursing, both in and out of the military applying her craft after work to children who have special needs and require 24 hour care.  Working weekends and holiday hours for nurses with young families so they could spend that time at home with their families.

This recipient is very involved in church; has been in charge of organizing and running their CCD classes as well as being a CCD leader, and has gone through special training in the church to become a Eucharistic Minister, a leader in the Monkton Maples 4H Club as well as Supervisor of the 4H Youth Hall at the Addison County Fair, and a helper at the youth hall.

This recipient has five sons, and one daughter with one Eagle Scout and one to finish soon, is a member of the Troop committee for both Troop 543 in Bristol and Troop 525 in Monkton and is the charter representative for troop 543.  This recipient has always been a regular at Land of Champs roundtables volunteering in training our leaders in CPR and has also served on staff for many leader trainings, currently is the Land of Champs District Commissioner, and is a recipient of the District Award of Merit.

I am honored and privileged to present Fran Schlesinger, as a recipient of the Green Mountain Council’s Highest Council Award, The Silver Beaver.