E. O. C. S. Outreach Coordinator

Receives Whitney M. Young, Jr. Award

January 12, 2002
 

On November 20, 2001, the Scoutreach Division of the Greater St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America presented the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Service Award to four individuals and one corporation. This award recognized their outstanding service to urban and/or low-income youth. The Executive Board of the Greater St. Louis Area Council also recognized them at its December meeting. The recipients were: J.S. Alberici Construction, Co., Inc.; Augustus Boyd; Leonard J. Cook; Sam Fox; and Elbert Kennedy.

Cook is the Outreach Coordinator for the Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting and a member of the Council Religious Relationships committee. He is currently serving the council as Scoutreach Commissioner.

Cook’s citation recognized his service on the Scoutreach Committee and as a commissioner, actively recruiting district level volunteers. It also noted his role as Scoutmaster for provisional units of inner-city youth at summer camp and the fact that, as part of this service, he has secured the services of physicians to provide no cost physicals to these scouts and to other inner-city scouts.

The citation also noted his service on the Religious Relations Committee of the council and as Outreach Coordinator of the Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting. It was further noted that, in this capacity, he was instrumental in organizing two camporee/retreats for Orthodox Scouts and their families. Since the citation was written, a third one was held.

During his acceptance speech at the banquet, Cook thanked those who had contributed in a special way to his success in Scouting. First, he thanked God for giving him the talent and perseverance to earn the recognition. He also mentioned that two people who had been influential in his Scouting life had died during the past year and were present in spirit. These included A.J. “Buck” Drinkwater, his Scoutmaster in Charleston, Mo. And Jack Ward, a long time Scouter from Dexter, Mo. and veteran advisor to the Anpetu-We Order ofzvùË Arrow Lodge. He also thanked those present at the banquet and those not present who had been very helpful.

During the presentation at the Council Executive Board meeting, the above facts were mentioned and it was further noted that Cook hand an extensive background of service in low-income rural areas, including the organization and re-organization of a number of units.

Cook began his Scouting experience as a Cub Scout and Boy Scout in Charleston, Mo. As an adult, he has served as an Assistant Scoutmaster and as a Scoutmaster in Lonedell. Most of his service has been on the Commissioners Staff. He is presently serving as Scoutreach Commissioner and as the Outreach Coordinator for the Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting. He has served on numerous training course staffs.

He completed Wood Badge training, the highest training offered to a volunteer Scouter in 1967. He received the Order of Merit from the Southeast Missouri Council and the District Award of Merit from -the St. Louis Area Council. He was awarded the Silver Beaver, the highest honor that a council can bestow on a volunteer Scouter, by the Greater St. Louis Area Council in 1994. He was awarded the Prophet Elias Award by the National Orthodox Committee on Scouting in 2000.

He served on summer camp staffs for nine years and served on the staff of the National Boy Scout Jamboree in 1997.