Cascade Pacific Council Eagle Scout Association
Awards & Recognitions
Recognizing those individuals who has received extraordinary national level recognition, fame, or eminence with their identified field, strong record of voluntary service to their community.
National Eagle Scout Association Awards and Recognition
The National Eagle Scout Association (NESA) recognizes Eagle Scouts with awards for leadership, service, and distinctive professional accomplishments, such as the Adam’s Eagle Project of the Year, the NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award, the NESA Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, and the NESA Distinguished Service Award. Donors are recognized via the NESA Legacy Society.
Council NESA committees may devise their own local awards to recognize community service and NESA activities, consistent with their council’s policie
NESA Awards Deadline Dates
Note – Please review NESA website to confirm their deadline dates. Awards do not carry over, so you will have to resubmit if not turned in by the deadline dates. * Cascade Pacific Council Alumni Awards & Recognition subcommittee deadline date is October 31st to review each award (2 months prior to Scouting Alumni deadline date).
- Distinguished Eagle Scout Award – April 1 – July 31.
- NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award – No Deadline.
- NESA Distinguished Service Award – October 31st of each year*.
- NESA Silver Wreath Award – December 31st of each year*.
- NESA Legacy Society – No Deadline
NESA Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
The Distinguished Eagle Scout Award (DESA) was established in 1969 by the National Eagle Scout Association to recognize Eagle Scouts who achieve extraordinary national-level recognition, fame, or eminence within their profession and/or service to the nation and have a strong record of voluntary service to their community.
The DESA is thus NESA’s highest honor for Eagle Scouts.
Stringent criteria begin with a minimum of 25 years “Time in Service” from the official record date an Eagle rank was earned. That requirement was determined by the average time most nominees need to establish a career, earn peer recognition, awards, fame/eminence, and other factors that are considered for DESA selection.
A committee comprised of Distinguished Eagle Scouts carefully reviews all nominations and determines selections. When time permits, the committee may provide feedback on nominations that may receive further, future consideration.
NESA DESA Recipients with Ties to Cascade Pacific Council
Leonard Duboff – Eagle: 1958 | DESA: 2013
Charles Foulger – DESA: 2001
Mark Ganz – DESA: 2015
Roger Gohrband – Eagle: 1947 | DESA: 2009
David Johnson – DESA: 1980
Luis Machuca – Eagle: 1972 | DESA: 2016
Kenneth Mattson –Eagle: 1962 | DESA: 2000
Michael McCoy – Eagle: 1969 | DESA: 2003
Robert Wayne McDonald – Eagle: 1975 | DESA: 2019
Jeffrey D. Pinneo – DESA: 2017
Walden Rhines – DESA: 2014
Herbert Richards, Jr. – DESA: 1999
Joseph Robertson, Jr. – Eagle: 1966 | DESA: 2017
Steven Sliwa – Eagle: 1969 | DESA: 2015
Gregory Walden – Eagle: 1973 | DESA: 2012
Merrill “Max” Williams, II – DESA: 2019
NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award
The National Eagle Scout Association established the NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award (NOESA) to commemorate the Boy Scouts of America’s 100th Anniversary in 2010. Since its inception, the award has become an important recognition among Eagle Scouts, recognizing their distinction, with less stringent* requirements required for the prestigious Distinguished Eagle Scout Award (DESA).
Known by its acronym, a NOESA is approved by NESA’s national award committee via nomination through a local council NESA committee. The award is presented solely to Eagle Scouts who demonstrate remarkable achievements well beyond their Scouting endeavors by excelling in their careers/vocations at local, regional, or national levels. NOESA recipients Inspire others through their positive actions, demonstrating excellence in their chosen professions, hobbies, community service, and adherence to religious beliefs. Notable past recipients include authors, explorers, television personalities, military leaders, scientists, medical doctors, academics, clergy, government officials, prominent business figures, and entrepreneurs.
The presentation of the NOESA must be conducted with the honor expected of a national-level award and preferably presented by a Distinguished Eagle Scout or other distinguished citizen. When properly presented in a dignified manner, a local Council’s recognition and related publicity of NOESA recipients serves to elevate the public stature and reputation of Eagle Scouts while enhancing community goodwill.
NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award Recipients with Ties to Cascade Pacific Council
David L Backman – Eagle: 1947 | NOESA: 2016
Allan Campbell – Eagle: 1984 | NOESA: 2017
Malcom Conrad Nichols – Eagle: 1943 | NOESA: 2013
Walter William Want – Eagle: 1958 | NOESA: 2014
Richard P. Zenn – Eagle: 1975 | NOESA: 2017
NESA Distinguished Service Award
The purpose of the NESA Distinguished Service Award is to recognize those who have given a lifetime of extraordinary leadership and service nationally to NESA, resulting in a significant impact on a national or territorial level. It is awarded for dedicated service over a sustained period of years to NESA, promotion of Eagle Scouting, staying active or returning to Scouting, and/or promoting/helping young people earning the rank of Eagle Scouts. Awards are limited in number and are normally presented during Scouting America’s Annual National Meeting. Unused quotas may not be rolled over to later years.
Reintroduction of the Distinguished Service Award by NESA
In 1976 NESA created this award for service to NESA, which resulted in 25 honorees between 1976 and 1989, after which time the National NESA committee was substantially reorganized. This resulted in the suspension of the award until its reintroduction in 2020. Nationally, there has been an outpouring of support to reinstate the award to better recognize those Leaders (Volunteer and Professional) that further NESA and the Eagle Scout Award, national.
Silver Wreath Award
In the mid-1970s, the National Eagle Scout Association (NESA) committee established the NESA Silver Wreath Award for service to NESA. Local Councils with active NESA Committees may recognize individual leadership and/or service by committee members via the Silver Wreath Award. The award was suspended in the 1980s and reinstated in late 2023.
National Office Confirmation
Before a Silver Wreath recipient may be notified, all applications must be submitted to the national office in order for NESA staff members to verify the recipient’s Eagle Scout status and to ensure that the nomination is within the council’s current-year quota. Approval is based on the date the application is received at the national office. All Silver Wreath nomination forms must be received by the national office in the calendar year in which the council has the quota available to award it. Nomination quotas must be used by December 31.
The nominee will not be recognized as a Silver Wreath recipient until the application has been filed with the national office and credentials returned to the council
NESA Legacy Society
The National Eagle Scout Association established the NESA Legacy Society in 2013 as a way for individuals to make a direct contribution to the national NESA endowment fund to support Eagle Scout scholarships, NESA committee service grants, career networking, and encouragement for all Scouts who wear the Eagle Scout badge.
Fellowship in the NESA Legacy Society is open to any currently registered youth or adult Scouter who has first been recognized as a James E. West Fellow, whether or not they are Eagle Scouts or members of NESA.
All contributions should be addition to regular support of an individual’s local Council fundraising programs.
Become an NESA Legacy Society Fellow
NESA Legacy Society with Ties to Cascade Pacific Council
Justin John Davis
Stephen F. Deatherage
Walter J. Fahnestock, Jr.
Steven L. Gold
David A. Keller, Sr.
Robert Wayne McDonald
Ronald T. Stankye
Glenn A. & Melinda W. Adams Service Project of the Year Award
The National Eagle Scout Association established the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award (ESSPY) to recognize valuable service of an exceptional nature by an Eagle Scout candidate to a religious institution, school, community or other entity through completion of an Eagle Scout project.
Examples of projects that have been selected for the ESSPY include projects that benefited underprivileged children, recognized veterans, were international in nature, and have required significant time and resources.
Selection of recipients begins at the local level and is conducted through the Council NESA committee. The Council NESA committee selects a recipient for their respective Council from the list of submitted nominations and then forwards a worthy candidate to the National Eagle Scout Association for Council Service Territory (CST) consideration.
“Territory” ESSPY recipients are selected by NESA’s CST scholarship committee. Territory recipients receive $350 available for their future educational purposes or to attend a national or international Scouting event or activity.
The recipient of the national award is then selected from among territory recipients by a special selection committee of the National Eagle Scout Association. The national recipient receives $3,500, available for their future educational purposes or to attend a national or international Scouting event or activity.
Quick Links
Contacts
Robert W. McDonald
Council Alumni Co-Chair | Interim NESA Chair
alumnichair@cpcscouting.org
Mason R. Lewallen
Council Alumni Co-Chair
Young Adult Member
Robert Yokoyama
Interim NESA Co-Chair
Chris Bartell
Council Director of Marketing & Innovation
chris.bartell@scouting.org