TO REACH US - Allegheny West Magazine

TOM TAYLORABOVE: Tom Taylor receivedthe Silver Beaver Award fromGreater Pittsburgh Council.SARA HEINLEINTo celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America and volunteer accomplishments, acouncil wide reception was held March 18 at Heinz Field. The celebration opened with a tailgatereception and the program feature was the presentation of the Silver Beaver Award.The Silver Beaver Award is the council-level distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America.Recipients of this award are registered adult leaders who have made an impact on the lives of youththrough service given to the council. The Silver Beaver is an award given to those who implement theScouting program and perform community service through hard work, self sacrifice, dedication, andmany years of service. It is given to those who do not actively seek it. The award has been given to onlyabout 1,000 scouters since it was first issued in 1932.Tom Taylor of Boy Scout Troop 248 was one of the 16 Greater Pittsburgh council recipients of the2010 Silver Beaver Award. Tom was an Eagle Scout in Troop 248 and has continued to be an activescouter as an adult. He has served as assistant scoutmaster, scoutmaster and committee chairman ofTroop 248 in the Frontier District. Tom has served as Exploring associate advisor and post advisor,Venturing crew advisor for Crews 235 and 258 and Order of the Arrow Dance team advisor.Tom has also received other awards from his scouting tenure including Scoutmaster of Merit, DistrictAward of Merit, Venture Crew advisor Award, E.Urner Goodman/Carroll Edison Founders’ award.He is also very active in many Native American Organizations including the Running Horse singersand dancers, Red Elk and Muddy Creek Singer. He also serves on the Clearfield and e-un-Da-ga-Pow-Wow Committees.Sara Heinlein, a volunteer firefighter with the North Fayette Volunteer FireDepartment, was one of two women honored this spring with the first Paul SciulloAward for Community Service from Duquesne University.The award, which will be given annually, is named in honor of Paul Sciullo II, a37-year-old policeman and alumnus of the Psychology Department at DuquesneUniversity who gave his life responding to a call as a member of the Pittsburgh PoliceDepartment.The award recognizes and celebrates community service performed by graduatingPsychology majors in diverse fields.Sara will graduate in December with a B.A. in Psychology.Sara received a plaque and was invited to address the graduating class on thechallenges and rewards of community service for learning and character development.Sara has served with the fire department for two years, and is involved in thedepartment’s special events such as Halloween patrol, Community Days, and thedepartment’s training activities.“The fire department was helpful to my family in a past emergency situation, andthat was the reason I decided to pay it back, by joining the department,” Saraexplains.She also volunteers with the Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s office.ABOVE: Sara Heinlein, second from right, with theparents of the late Paul Sciullo, left and right, and afamily member. Brittany Urso, the other awardee, issecond from left.44 Allegheny West Magazine June 2010