Sporty's founder awarded Scouting honor
Sporty’s Pilot Shop founder Hal Shevers has quietly lent support to Cincinnati-area Boy Scouts of America (BSA) for more than two decades. The Scouting community recently honored Shevers with the Silver Beaver Award for his “distinguished service to youth” for working behind the scenes to assure Scouts of continued leadership and support in their efforts to build character, compassion, and service.
The Silver Beaver Award, first presented in 1931, recognizes Shevers’ many accomplishments for scouting, which include “community service through hard work, self-sacrifice, dedication and many years of service,” according to a July 13 news release. The group describes the award as one that recognizes “Scouters of exceptional character who have provided distinguished service.”
“I started out as a kid in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts,” Shevers told AOPA, “and it’s a great program.” He said he learned a variety of skills including “book binding, bird watching, life-saving, first-aid, and it just keeps going on and on.” He is also a Distinguished Eagle Scout, chairman of the Aviation Exploring National Committee, and a member of the Boy Scouts of America Advisory Council.
“The Silver Beaver is the highest volunteer award that can bestowed upon a volunteer, at the council level,” said Tom Copeland, a North Carolina-based volunteer adult Scouter for 25 years. “You get it for years of service as a volunteer. You are nominated for it and typically don’t even know about it,” he explained from the National Scout Jamboree in West Virginia, a biennial Scouting gathering that attracts thousands. “It’s a very meaningful honor and it isn’t given out to just anybody.”
Shevers spoke to AOPA before flying local Scouting members from Cincinnati’s Dan Beard Council to the jamboree. “We did this two years ago, too,” Shevers told AOPA. “We’ll circle the Jamboree and land at Beckley, [West Virginia] and they can participate and tour the facility, then we’ll fly them home.”
He said that Scouting laid the foundation for future accomplishments. “I can never pay back Scouting for what Scouting has done for me,” Shevers said.
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