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Liberty Lodge 300 Presents the Daniel Carter Beard Masonic Scouter Award

On Sun., May 18, members of Liberty Lodge 300 attended the spring Court of Honor of Boy Scout Troop 93 to present Worshipful Brother Dean Lif with the Daniel Carter Beard Masonic Scouter Award.

W.B. Dean served as Worshipful Master of Liberty Lodge 300 in 1991 and 1994 and has been very active with Boy Scout Troop 93 since that time.  He has served in numerous capacities including Scoutmaster and Troop Committee Chairman.  His two boys, Adam and Chris, are the chief reason Bro. Dean donates his time to the Boy Scouts. 

Boy Scout Troop 93 was chartered by South Gate United Methodist Church in 1967 and is in its 41^st year of operation.  The Troop’s mission is to build character and develop leadership skills in young men by promoting the ideals of the Scout Oath and Scout Law.  The Troop Committee strives to balance community service, outdoor activities, and rank advancement in the pursuit of its mission.  Troop 93 has produced 54 Eagle Scouts since its inception and we were pleased to be there for the announcement of the 55^th Eagle Scout of Troop 93, Adam Lif, W.B. Dean’s son, who has completed all the requirements of the Eagle rank and will be honored on Aug. 17 at his Eagle Scout Court of Honor.  The Troop meets on Thursday nights at Cavett Elementary School.  Since Liberty Lodge 300 also meets on Thursday nights, W.B. Dean had to make the choice of continued participation in Lodge, or being with his boys.  He chose the obvious choice that family comes before Lodge as we are taught in the Entered Apprentice Charge.

The Brethren of Liberty Lodge 300 congratulate W.B. Dean for this well deserved recognition.  An explanation of the award follows.

W.B. Dean Lif recieved the Daniel Carter Beard Masonic Scouter Award at Troop 93's Court of Honor on Sun., May 18.  Pictured are W.B. Bob Foreman, Ann Lif, Dean Lif, and W.B. Wade Kendle.

Many Freemasons nationwide have been of great service to the Boy Scouts of America by supporting the development of Scouting units, serving as volunteers, and assisting their Masonic lodges in forming and sponsoring Scout units. The relationship between individual Masons and Scouting, which has existed since the founding of Scouting in America, has resulted in immeasurable benefits for both Freemasonry and Scouting.

At the June 2001 Quarterly Communication of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, the Grand Master approved the creation of the Daniel Carter Beard Masonic Scouter Award.

It was created with the approval of the Boy Scouts of America as a national Masonic Scouter award, and will be administered by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania as a service to all other Grand Lodges.

The Daniel Carter Beard Masonic Scouter Award is an honor due to the countless Freemasons who practice the ideals of Freemasonry and act as role models to the young men who are part of one of our nation's most outstanding youth organizations. The Daniel Carter Beard Masonic Award not only supports the Masonic relationship through the man who brought Scouting to America, but proclaims the integrity of the Freemason who is honored by receiving the award.

Eligibility

• developing of Scouting units;
• assisting lodges in forming units;
• exemplifying the Scout Law and Masonic virtues;
• recruiting Scouting volunteers;
• strengthening the relationship between Freemasonry and Scouting.

Brother Dan Beard

Freemasonry's relationship with the Boy Scouts started with a Freemason named Daniel Carter Beard. Bro. Beard was made a Mason in Mariner's Lodge No. 67, New York City, NY, and later affiliated with Cornucopia Lodge 563, Flushing, NY. In the late 1800's he founded a male youth program called the "Society of the Sons of Daniel Boone." By 1905, the program had become "The Boy Pioneers." The man who would create the first "Boy Scouts," and be known as its founder, was Lord Robert Baden-Powell of Great Britain. Lord Baden-Powell, who was not a Mason, read of Beard's program and, based on his own military experience, developed what is known as the "Boy Scouts." In 1910, the Boy Scout program came to America when Bro. Beard merged his organization into the "Boy Scouts of America" and became its first National Commissioner.

Bro. Beard, known affectionately as "Uncle Dan" by millions of Boy Scouts, worked tirelessly to create the Scouting Program that we know today. He developed the elements of the Scout badge and the Scout uniform, and wrote and illustrated various early publications of the Boy Scouts of America. Bro. Beard exemplified the Masonic ideals throughout the Scouting program.

Boy Scout Community Organization Award The Boy Scouts of America approved what is known as the "Community Organization Award Program," which can be used by any community organization to honor its volunteers for Scouting. As part of that program, each organization is permitted to create its own neck medallion and to award a purple square knot badge with a gold border. The Daniel Carter Beard Masonic Scouter Award consists of a certificate endorsed by the recipient's Grand Master, a Masonic neck medallion, and a Boy Scouts of America-approved knot patch to be worn with a Scout uniform. The neck medallion is a silver metallic medal of the square and compasses resting upon a sunburst and supported by a blue and silver ribbon. The knot patch is a gold colored square knot supported by a purple background with a gold border.

Procedure for Making Nominations

• Step One: The recommender must complete the petition and submit an attached page explaining the candidate's qualification for the award.
• Step Two: The recommender should also have the petition approved and verified by the local Boy Scout Council that the candidate is currently registered as an active Scout leader.
• Step Three: The recommender should then have the application reviewed by the Worshipful Master of the candidate's lodge. If found to be qualified, the petition will be authorized and forwarded to the lodge's district deputy or other Masonic authority designated to handle the award in his home jurisdiction. That person will then submit the petition and check, as instructed by his Grand Lodge, for action.

As of April 15, 2008, 2070 individuals have been recognized with the Daniel Carter Beard Masonic Scouter Award.  521 have been recognized within the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania and 1449 outside of that Grand Jurisdiction.  The Grand Lodge of Nebraska has recognized 18.

Information from The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania’s website, http://www.pagrandlodge.org/.