Val Woods has been awarded the Silver Beaver Award for his 19 years of serving the boy scouts in Virgin Valley. The Silver Beaver Award is the highest award given to volunteer scouters. It is given to leaders who have served in many capacities in scouting, have attended training meetings, and served their community and church in other ways. Val is currently the 11-year-old Scout Leader for Troop 493 sponsored by the Mesquite 4th Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served as Scoutmaster for Troop 493 for 6 years and assistant scoutmaster for 8 years prior to this. Woods also served as district Round Table Commissioner teaching other leaders to plan activities and train them.. He has also served 11years as assistant camp director at Camp Kolob summer camp. He served as Cub Scout Day Camp assistant and for the last 17 years has been on the support staff for Scouting for Food Drive held in November. During all of the 19 years he has been a merit badge counselor always willing to help the scouts learn skills. Bishop Charles Burton said of him, “He has provided young men with well planned activities, which allowed them to attain rank advancements. His campouts were well organized and provided opportunities for the scouts to become proficient in scout skills.” Woods has taken young men on outings when their fathers could not go. He has also volunteered to go to girl’s summer camp for many years. He has cooked Dutch oven meals for hundreds. He has inspired many of the youth by spending time with them, teaching them knots and setting up camp or just listening. He is a great story teller and reminds the scouts in his gentle way to choose the right. He loves his country and has passed this love of country to his scouts and has been a true example to them of the scout oath and law. He will be honored at the Silver Beaver Banquet for the Utah Parks Council in September.
