Andrea McCallum, pictured at left, is honored as the High Plains District Cub Scout Leader of the Year, as well as the William D. Boyce New-Unit Organizer. District commissioner Jodi Brady presented the awards.
Boy Scout leaders Andrea McCallum and Sasha Lopez earn district awards
Two of Holyoke’s Boy Scout Troop 32 and Cub Scout Pack 32 leaders have been honored with district-level recognition for their enthusiasm, energy and commitment to keeping local Scouting alive. Andrea McCallum received the William D. Boyce New-Unit Organizer award, as well as the High Plains District Cub Scout Leader of the Year. Sasha Lopez was named the Spark Plug Leader of the Year.
Additionally, Jim Tomky, on behalf of the Holyoke Lions Club, received an award for being the Chartered Organization of the Year. Having a chartered organization that is committed to supporting and helping the Scouts — like the Lions Club is — is an invaluable asset, McCallum explained.
The awards were actually announced at the High Plains District recognition dinner Feb. 24, but McCallum, Lopez and the Lions Club were recognized at the local Blue and Gold Banquet Feb. 27. District commissioner Jodi Brady presented the awards.
The new-unit organizer award is given to volunteers who organize a new Boy Scouts unit. McCallum did so in January 2016. Though Holyoke had thriving Scouts for years in the past, when the time came for her son, Blye, to join, there was no longer a local option.
Blye joined Cub Scouts in Wray, but the district executive at the time, Gary Shoemaker, encouraged McCallum to start a Holyoke pack. She was convinced, and 12 local boys were involved at Pack 32’s inception. Once Blye was old enough to become a Boy Scout, Troop 32 was established as well. In honor of the award, McCallum has a knot to wear above the pocket on her uniform.
Lopez has also been a scout leader since the pack’s 2016 start and has two sons who are Cubs. Sebastien is an arrow of light Scout, and Sylvester is a wolf. As her nominator explained, Lopez brings a lot of energy to the pack. She is always upbeat and excited, qualities essential to be the Spark Plug Leader of the Year.
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