Elder Marion D. Hanks of the Presidency of the First Quorum of the Seventy and Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone of the First Quorum of the Seventy have been named recipients of the Silver Buffalo, the highest honor of the Boy Scouts of America for nationwide service to youth.
The two General Authorites were among 18 men and women selected to receive the honor, announced Dr. Rodney H. Brady, a member of Scouting's National Executive Board and chairman of the National Court of Honor, which selectes the honorees.Among those also honored this year were U.S. First Lady Nancy Reagan, reported Brady, who also is president and chief executive officer of Salt Lake City-based Bonneville International Corp., and a member of the Church.
Elder Hanks and Elder Featherstone will receive their awards at the biennial meeting of the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America May 20 in San Diego, Calif. They bring to 17 the total number of members of the Church known to have received Scouting's highest award (see accompanying chart). President George Albert Smith, in 1934, was the first Church member to receive the Silver Buffalo.
Elder Hanks, called to be a General Authority in 1953, formerly served on Scouting's National Executive Board and International Committee and has been a member of the National Advisory Board since 1977. He is currently the executive director of the Church's Priesthood Department.
He has been chairman of three national Scouting committees, including the National Camping and Outdoor Committee. He served as the chaplain general for Scouting's International Jamboree at Dalasjamb, Sweden, in 1979, and was chairman of the General Scouting Committee of the Church from 1976 to 1978.
Elder Featherstone now serves as general president of the Young Men and chairman of the General Scouting Committee. He is also president of the Utah South Area.
In Scouting, Elder Featherstone is a member of the National Executive Board. He serves on the National Religious Relationships and the National Camping Committees. For the past 12 years he has also been the faculty chairman for LDS sessions at Philmont Scout Ranch. He served as an Explorer leader and twice as a Scoutmaster.
Both Elder Hanks and Elder Featherstone have previously received the Silver Beaver and Silver Antelope awards for service to young men on the local and regional levels.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
LDS Silver Buffaloes
LDS recipients of Scouting's Silver Buffalo award and the year it was awarded,, according to Mormon Relationships Office, Boy Scouts of America, are:
Elder George Albert Smith (1934)
President Heber J. Grant (1939)
President David O. McKay (1953)
Elder Ezra Taft Benson (1954)
Elder Delbert L. Stapley (1961)
Elder Harold B. Lee (1963)
President Nathan Eldon Tanner (1969)
Elbert R. Curtis, former YMMIA superintendent (1971)
LaVern W. Parmley, former Primary president (1977)
Elder Thomas S. Monson (1978)
J. Willard Marriott, hotelier (1980)
William Gay, businessman (1980)
Dr. Rodney H. Brady, executive (1982)
President Spencer W. Kimball (1984)
Elder Robert L. Backman (1986)
Elder Marion D. Hanks (1988)
Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone (1988)