District Award Descriptions
Gila River Rocket Award
Overview
Available to registered and trained Scouters who render service of an outstanding nature to a unit for a period of at least 6 months and not more than 2 years. This Award is intended for new leaders in a unit. Must be current with Youth Protection Training.
Who Can Earn This Award?
This award celebrates adult volunteers in Gila River District that take on responsibility immediately upon joining a unit and create value for a program through their time, talent, energy and passion for Scouting. This award can only be received one (1) time.
Orbit Award for Sustained Unit Service
Overview
Available to registered and trained Scouters who render service of an outstanding nature to a unit for a period of at least 2 years and not more than 9 years. This Award is intended for leaders who remain active leaders in a unit. Must be current with Youth Protection Training.
Who Can Earn This Award?
This award celebrates adult volunteers in Gila River District that continue to take on responsibility within a unit. Their role might change within the unit but because of their time, talent, energy and passion for Scouting, the unit continues to provide opportunities for Scouts to thrive in a quality program. This award can only be received one (1) time.
Gila River Green Machine Service Longevity Award
Overview
Available to registered and trained Scouters who render service of an outstanding nature to unit(s) for a period of not less than 10 years. Must be current with Youth Protection Training.
Who Can Earn This Award?
Presented to adult volunteers in Gila River District in recognition for creating a sustainable program – meaning not only have they volunteered their own time but also prepared others to carry work forward in their absence. This award can only be received one (1) time.
Gila River District Star Scouter
Overview
Available to registered and trained Scouters who render service of an outstanding nature at the district level for a period of at least 6 months.
Must be current with Youth Protection Training.
Who Can Earn This Award?
This award recognizes adult volunteers in Gila River District who dedicate their time in service to the district and set the example of the Spirit of Scouting to others. Opportunities include serving on the District Advancement, Civics, STEM, Training and/or Outdoor Committees, coordinating District Program events (i.e. Pinewood Derby, Fall Camporee, Recognition Event), and serving on the District Committee in other roles including Communication, Finance, Membership and Order of the Arrow Advisor. This award can be received multiple times.
Theo LeBaron Life Achievement Award
Overview
Available to registered Scouters who render service of an outstanding nature to units and/or districts over their lifetime. Must be current with Youth Protection Training.
Who Can Earn This Award?
The Theo LeBaron award is named after a longtime Scouter who gave almost 3 decades of service at the district level. He was active in every part of scouting from Scoutmaster to Committee Member as well as Commissioner Service in the District, always going above and beyond to help Scouts and the Scouting program. This award is based on truly exceptional service and tenure for both Unit and District level support and is meant to recognize Scouters who have shown the same dedication to scouting as the legacy left by Theo LeBaron.
Lemuel Siddons’ Honor Roll of Scouting Achievement
Overview
Let’s face it: Follow-Me Boys is a classic Scout movie really more for adults, not youth. It is because many who are passionate about Scouting want to leave a legacy, have an impact beyond themselves, and see Scouting thrive. In the end, Lem was the “richest” man in town! We feel these Scouters are also some of the richest people in town.
Who Can Earn This Award?
Presented to adult volunteers who take on multiple duties in a unit to move the program and the scouting movement forward or who step up to help with a district event when a need arises. There are no minimums or limits on the service provided. This award can be received multiple times.
Gila River District Scout of the Year
Overview
Nominee will be at least 12 years of age, but less than 18 for the service period being recommended and Star Rank or higher. This youth cannot be an SPL.
Have demonstrated outstanding leadership skills and participation in activities in Scouting and a strong record of participation in activities outside of Scouting.
Must be an active, registered member of a unit in Gila River District
Who Can Earn This Award?
This award celebrates scouts that exhibit faithfulness in their religious duties, desirable qualities of character defined in the Scout Law, patriotism and civic responsibility/citizenship, courage, self-reliance, and personal fitness. This award can only be received one (1) time.
Gila River District Senior Patrol Leader of the Year
Overview
Must be an active, registered and trained member of a Scouts BSA unit in the district. Nominee must be an SPL for some portion of the calendar year for which nominations are being accepted.
The SPL should have led multiple unit activities including troop meetings, troop outings, troop Patrol Leader Council meetings (aka Greenbar meetings),
Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops (ILST Training), Courts of Honor and have a strong record of participation in activities both inside and outside of Scouting. Nominations must be received from the Unit Leader (aka Scoutmaster).
Who Can Earn This Award?
This award celebrates Senior Patrol Leaders (SPLs) that exhibit faithfulness in their religious duties, desirable qualities of character as defined in the Scout Law, patriotism and civic responsibility/citizenship, courage, self-reliance, and personal fitness. This award can only be received one (1) time.
Gila River District Scout Family of the Year
Overview
The family is an important part of Scouting. Family support for each youth is vital to his or her success in Scouting. Those parents who volunteer as leaders are a vital support for other kids as well as their own. The extra effort that parents put forth as leaders, in addition to their family responsibilities, deserve to be recognized. But when the whole family is involved in Scouting, they deserve recognition all the more. The Family of the Year award is a way to honor these families by selecting, from those nominated, the family whose work as a team in Scouting has made the greatest difference in our community.
Who Can Earn This Award?
Presented to families with registered Scouts, where at least 1 adult family member is also a registered volunteer and all volunteers are current with Youth Protection Training. This award celebrates families who have dedicated a significant amount of time, energy and emotion into supporting the program in Gila River District.
This award can only be received one (1) time.
Paul Ruff Outstanding New Unit Commissioner Award
Overview
Paul Fulton Ruff was a dedicated Scouter who served for many years in numerous roles including Commissioner Service. This award is available to registered and trained Unit Commissioners who render service of an outstanding nature to units for a period of at least 6 months and not more than 2 years. Must be current with Youth Protection Training.
Who Can Earn This Award?
This award celebrates adult volunteers that take on commissioner responsibility with enthusiasm and create value for a unit through their time, energy and passion for Scouting. This award can only be received one (1) time.
Commissioner Hall of Fame Award
Overview
Available to registered and trained Commissioners who render service of an outstanding nature for a period of 2 years or more in Gila River District. This is a district recognition separate from the Arrowhead Award.
Who Can Earn This Award?
This award recognizes Commissioners who are part of the District’s Commissioner Service team by volunteering as a Unit Commissioner, Assistant District Commissioner, or Roundtable Commissioner. Nominations should include specific information about the candidate’s commissioner service to Gila River District.
Distinguished Commissioner Service Award
Overview
For commissioners who have earned the Arrowhead Honor and Commissioners Key, served five years of continuous service, and completed a project for their council; this award also emphasizes unit service.
The Distinguished Commissioner Service Award is the highest recognition that can be given to a commissioner. It recognizes an individual who has consistently engaged in distinguished and exceptional commissioner service resulting in significant, positive impact on youth, units, and a district and/or council.
In determining the value of such service, consideration must be given to the candidate recipient’s commissioner position and the corresponding opportunity to render outstanding and exceptional service beyond the expectations for that commissioner position.
Who Can Earn This Award?
Specific forms are required to be filled out and submitted to the Council Commissioner. The nomination form is reviewed by a selection committee and, if selected, the Council Commissioner makes the presentation. (This award can be received (1) one time only.) Please contact the District Advancement Chair for more information.
District Award of Merit
Overview
Available to registered and trained Scouters who render service of an outstanding nature at the District level.
Who Can Earn This Award?
Presented by districts to adult volunteers in the same manner that the Silver Beaver is, as a national award, presented by councils; it is not appropriate to nominate a Scouter who has already received this award. It is the highest honor that can be conveyed by a district and limited to a specific ratio dictated by the number of units. This is a seriously prestigious award! This award can only be awarded one (1) time to the nominee (regardless of involvement in multiple districts over time).
Yuma Area Traditional Awards
Copper Star
Given for outstanding service to the GRD/Yuma Area as a Unit, Roundtable, or District Commissioner.
It can be for service over a period of time, or for outstanding service for an event or project.
Who Can Earn This Award?
This award recognizes Adult Scouters who dedicate their time to promoting the Spirit of Scouting to others in service to the District. This includes service such as coordinating District Program, Advancement Committee, Round Table or serving on the District Committee. This award is presented to registered adult volunteers by the Yuma Area Vice Chair. The Copper Star can be earned multiple times.
Silver Saguaro
Award Given for outstanding service to the GRD/Yuma Area.
It can be for service over a period of time or for outstanding service for an event or project.
Who Can Earn This Award?
Presented to registered adult volunteers by the Yuma Area Vice Chair; it is not appropriate to nominate a Scouter who has already received this award. It is the highest honor that can be conveyed and can be received only one (1) time. This is a seriously prestigious award.