13 Scouters to receive 2019 Silver Buffalo Award, Scouting’s top honor for volunteers

They’ve led giant corporations and highly ranked universities. They’ve skied at the North and South poles and chased eclipses around the world. They’ve volunteered with music education programs and at their places of worship.

Impressive stuff, but there’s something even more remarkable on the résumés of the 13 men and women receiving the Silver Buffalo Award this year.

I’m referring to their service to Scouting. Combined, this year’s Silver Buffalo Award recipients have given more than 400 years of service to the Boy Scouts of America.

In recognition of their commitment to this life-changing movement, these volunteers join the illustrious list of people who have received Scouting’s top honor for adult volunteers.

The list features massive names in Scouting (Robert Baden-Powell, “Green Bar Bill” Hillcourt), Hollywood (Walt Disney, Jimmy Stewart), sports (Yogi Berra, Archie Manning) and government (Gerald Ford, Lyndon B. Johnson).

The Silver Buffalo Award is part of the so-called “Silver family” of BSA awards, alongside the Silver Beaver Award for distinguished service within a council and the Silver Antelope Award for distinguished service on the regional level.

Let’s meet the Silver Buffalo Award Class of 2019. These Scouters are being honored this week at the BSA’s annual meeting in Denver.

2019 Silver Buffalo Award recipients, at a glance

Please join me in congratulating each of these outstanding volunteers for a job well done.

• Dave Alexander, Grand Canyon Council (Phoenix)*
• Jeffrey S. Bostwick, San Diego-Imperial Council (San Diego)*
• E. Gordon Gee, Mountaineer Council (Morgantown, W.Va.)*
• Dr. Kenneth D. King, Northern New Jersey Council (Forked River, N.J.)*
• Robert E. Murray, Ohio River Valley Council (St. Clairsville, Ohio)
• William E. “Bill” Rosner, Laurel Highlands Council (Pittsburgh)
• James A. Ryffel, Longhorn Council (Fort Worth, Texas)*
• C. Bari Saunders, Sam Houston Area Council (Houston)
• Gary M. Schroeder, Chester County Council (Landenberg, Pa.)*
• Alison K. Schuler, Great Southwest Council (Albuquerque, N.M.)
• Daniel Thomas Segersin, Northern Star Council (Eden Prairie, Minn.)
• Wesley J. Smith, Piedmont Council (Piedmont, Calif.)
• Kaylene “Kay” Trick, Susquehanna Council (New Berlin, Pa.)

The * indicates the recipient is an Eagle Scout.

2019 Silver Buffalo Award recipients from Northern Star Council

Daniel Thomas Segersin

Northern Star Council (Eden Prairie, Minn.)

Dan Segersin’s most significant experience in Scouting was serving as incident commander for the army of Arrowmen, staff and U.S. Forest Service personnel who built 12 miles of trail, road closure points and primitive campsites in the Teton Pass area, during the Bridger-Teton segment of the 2008 ArrowCorps5 project.

He is also proud to have been a stem cell donor for his twin sister and believes that “donors can and do change lives.”

A retired senior vice president of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Segersin has received the Silver Antelope Award, the Distinguished Commissioner Award, the Silver Beaver Award, the Order of the Arrow Centurion Award, the Order of the Arrow Distinguished Service Award and the William T. Hornaday Gold Badge. A Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow, he has
also served as a Wood Badge course director.

With 45 years of service as a Scouter, he has served as vice chairman of outdoor programs and on the national committee for the Order of the Arrow, as an incident commander with SummitCorps and on the National Camp Accreditation Program task force. He has served on the Central Region board, as Central Region OA chairman and on the North Central region’s Ethics in Action task force.

Segersin, a member of the Northern Star Council, has also served as Scoutmaster, assistant Scoutmaster, assistant Cubmaster and den leader.

Segersin and his wife, Carol, attend Prairie Lutheran Church and have three children — Sean (Carolyn), Leanne and Thomas (Boo) — and two grandchildren: Alorie and James.