Our next award is the Jenny Kukucka Memorial Public Service Award and I want to say a few words about the award itself and why it bares this name. For each year we move a little bit farther from the tragedy of that day in October 2005 and it is important we never forget.
Jenny was a new member in our crew that year who was killed in a terrible car accident with her older brother. Their deaths so upset the crew that the officers decided to conduct a driving safety campaign in three schools the following year, the most ambitious service project I have seen in 20 years in Scouting. The following year the crew produced a video on driving safety, a video the crew and other Scouts have seen many times since.
This award goes to the individual who most demonstrates the spirit of giving, leading and participating in service projects throughout the year.
And now I would like this year’s winner of the Public Service Award to come forward: Sarah Harrison.
Sarah has been with us for about three years. She’s been elected twice as treasurer and is currently our first vice president. The vice president of administration.
What some of you may not know about Sarah is that she has been a volunteer at Riverbanks Zoo for years.
Volunteering, in fact, is in her blood. She loves it.
Let me tell you a few facts about Sarah. Most of you are familiar with the service hour requirement in high school. For her program, she is required to put in 30 hours during the school year.
Sarah completed 160.
Let that sink in. Especially those of you who are used to trying to find service time for school. For years I will get students at the last minute searching their time with the crew to find some service hours. Sarah doesn’t need to search.
If there is a service opportunity, she is there.
I will talk about this later but she completed a project for Corps of Discovery this year, the only member of the crew to do so during the school year.
Here’s something else you may not know about Sarah. She has helped in the past with the Cub Scout Day Camp and will do so again this summer. That’s not because we require her to or school requires her to. She does it because she likes helping the little guys.
In fact, she will be in charge of nature programming this summer at the day camp and will be teaching boys about birds and air pollution.
She’s also talked to me about a couple of projects for the homeless she wants the crew to participate in.
If you’ll notice this plaque, it’s bigger than all the rest. It’s designed that way because we want to celebrate those who think of others, who are willing to sacrifice and spend time volunteering, not because it will earn them a patch or for school but because it feels good inside.
Sarah has the heart for volunteering and this award is dedicated in Jenny’s name for those with such a heart. I am proud to declare Sarah our 2015 winner of the Jenny Kukucka Memorial Public Service Award.
Congratulations!