The Silver Beaver Association

The Silver Beaver Association of the Southwest Florida Council is a fellowship of Silver Beaver recipients, whose purposes include providing camperships for deserving Scouts, supplying funds for needed projects at both of the council’s camps, subsidizing the cost of the Silver Beaver awards to new recipients, nominating worthy individuals to receive this prestigious award, and providing vital Scouting leadership at the unit, district and council levels. The Silver Beaver Association was created by an action of the Council Executive Board on September 12, 2006.

Another important goal of the Association is to foster a sense of fellowship among Silver Beaver recipients by perpetuating a sense of history, continuity and identity for both the recipients themselves and the Association.

Fund Raising

Funds are raised from the sale of association patches and association shirts along with the annual collection of dues. Only Silver Beaver recipients may wear the association patch on their uniform in place of the regular council shoulder patch as authorized by the action of the Council Executive Board. The price of association patches is $10/patch. 

The association also has association shirts that feature a Silver Beaver logo and association wording.   These are available on a pre-order basis in both gray and royal blue in most sizes; these are available only to association members for a price of $35/shirt.

Dues are $10/year per member. All memberships expire on June 30 of each year and are renewable annually. Newly awarded Southwest Florida Council Silver Beavers will receive a complimentary first year membership in the Association. Dues can be paid either at any of the OA fellowships or else by sending a check to the council office made payable to the Silver Beaver Association/SWFC.

Membership Form

Please click on the attached link. Please mail the completed membership form and a check as described above to Marvin Thomas as listed below.

Patch Archive

The patch pictured at the top of this section is the currently authorized patch, featuring the green border, the panther and silver beaver award and the blue-white-blue trefoil. This is available for $10/patch plus postage if needed. They can also be purchased at the OA fellowships or at Council Executive Board meetings.

Original Association Patch    

This original patch featured a silver border and a red trefoil. It is the original patch that was authorized for uniform wear by Silver Beaver holders only. It is currently out of production.

Original Trader Patch

This patch was done in the green border, and could be purchased by anyone, but it could not be worn on the uniform. It was intended for trading or memento purposes. It is currently out of production.

Questions, Information

 If you have any questions or need information, please call Marvin Thomas at 941-486-5360 or contact him at :  BMThomasBSA@comcast.net. His address is 920 Tamiami Trail S., # 150, Venice, FL 34285.

Silver Beaver Recipients:

The nominating process for the Silver Beaver Award ends October 31.  Questions? Contact Lori Laumeyer at:  Lori.Laumeyer@scouting.org or at the Council Service Center.

 Nomination Form 

  History of the
Silver Beaver

The Silver Beaver Award is the highest award that a local council can present to a volunteer Scouter. The award is made to registered Scouters of exceptional character upon the recommendation of the local council and with the approval of the National Council, Boy Scouts of America for noteworthy service to youth.

The award was established in 1931 by the then-National President Mortimer L. Schiff who was impressed with the success of the Silver Buffalo awards program, for service to youth and Scouting on the national level.

The Silver Beaver Award consists of a miniature Silver Beaver suspended from a blue-white-blue ribbon. The qualities of this ribbon and its colors are equally the qualities of those who are to receive this award. The ribbon is strong and closely woven and must support the beaver itself. So, too, must these recipients be strong in purpose and character, in devotion to Scouting and all boyhood, and in the love of adventure and the out-of-doors.

The color white has stood for fairness, straight-forward conduct and honorable behavior. These qualities are all found in the Oath and Law which these Scouters exemplify: fairness in dealing with both adults and young people, straight-forwardness of purpose, and the first two parts of the Scout Law: Trustworthy and Loyal.

The beaver is a gregarious animal. Likewise, these Scouters do not live and work alone, but in the company of other volunteers, youth members and their peers who have come to look upon them as truly worthy of this award.

The use of silver for this award also has significance. Silver is used in the depiction and manufacture of Scouting’s highest youth award, that of Eagle Scout. It is also used in the Silver Eagle Palm, the Silver Antelope and Silver Buffalo awards, and was previously, but not currently, used in the coloring and manufacture of the highest volunteer and professional position patches within the Scouting movement.

For many years, previous past recipients of the Silver Beaver were male. But in recognition of the service of women to Scouting, the Silver Fawn Award was created and presented as the comparable award for female Scouters. The Silver Fawn Award was presented between the years of 1971-1974, but was then discontinued in favor of the Silver Beaver Award being presented to Scouters of both sexes.

Currently, each council is authorized to present one award for each sixty Scouting units registered.