Elmhurst Scouter Presented Silver Beaver Award

Elmhurst resident and Scout leader John Lothian was honored last month with the Silver Beaver Award by the Boy Scouts of America Pathway to Adventure Council. Lothian was one of thirteen Scouters honored at a recognition dinner held at the Waterford Banquet & Conference Center in Elmhurst on March 10th.

The Silver Beaver is the highest recognition a Boy Scout Council can award to “registered Scouters of exceptional character who have provided distinguished service within a council.” It is presented by the National Court of Honor on behalf of councils.

He is also a recipient of a City of Elmhurst Character Counts Service Award and the Boy Scout District Award of Merit for Potawatomi Trails District of Three Fires Council.

Lothian was recognized with the Silver Beaver Award for his creation of the Trading Tech 300 program, a merit badge training series for local scouts held in the offices of firms in Chicago’s financial community. Firms and organizations such as the Cboe, CME Group, National Futures Association, US Bank, Advantage Futures, WGN, DRW and others have held merit badge clinics as part of the program.

So far sixteen firms have participated, and 372 Scouts have attended Trading Tech 300 workshops, earning 467 badges. Twenty-nine new Merit Badge Counselors have been enrolled, and youth have had 21 days of unique workshop experience in corporate environments. “The future for local Scouting is bright when we have caring, motivated volunteers like John.” according to Myriam Herrera, who nominated Lothian for the Silver Beaver award and is the Development Director with Pathway to Adventure Council (PTAC).

Lothian has also served as the co-chair of the LaSalle Street Trading Tech Awards the last two years, and helped reinvent the 45-year old event to focus on celebrating the firms and individuals hosting and teaching the merit badge clinics.

He has served as a Scoutmaster, Cubmaster and District Chair in the Three Fires Council, which includes Elmhurst. He co-founded a Venturing Crew and Exploring Club and is currently a Troop Chaplain, Venturing Crew Advisor, Exploring Club Advisor, Merit Badge Counselor and Assistant District Commissioner for Communications in Potawatomi Trails District.

The Exploring Club he leads in Elmhurst features middle school girls who want to experience the same adventures and learn the same skills Boy Scouts do at that age.

“Girls want to have the same opportunities for outdoor adventure as boys and the Exploring Club prepares them for rigorous challenges of Venturing when they turn 14,” Lothian said. “My daughter Katherine joined Venturing and attended the World Scout Jamboree in Japan in 2015 and the experience changed her life.”

During his tenure as Scoutmaster of Troop 117 in Elmhurst, fifteen Boy Scouts earned the rank of Eagle. His oldest son, Timothy, was one of the Eagle Scouts, and his daughter Katherine attended the World Scout Jamboree in 2015 and the National Jamboree in 2017. His youngest son Robert attended the National Jamboree in 2013 is a Life Scout and Junior Assistant Scoutmaster in Troop 117 and President of Venturing Crew 711.

Lothian also serves as the chair of the nominating committee for the Pathway to Adventure Council and was just named a Member at Large of their Executive Board. He gives much credit to his wife, Cheryl, for her support.