At last night’s meeting, our own James B. was presented with a Certificate of Merit from Garden State Council and the Boy Scouts of America. Several months ago, James was attending a luncheon after a family funeral, where he noticed that his grandfather was acting strangely and slurring his speech. Immediately recognizing the signs of a stroke, James alerted his family members of what was happening. Thanks to James quick thinking and quick actions, his grandfather received immediate medical attention and has been recovering well since.

While James was not eligible for a heroism medal from the Boy Scouts (which requires risk to oneself), his actions went through the process at the council and national level and was deemed worthy of recognition from the Boy Scouts of America. This is no little recognition, as James is the first scout from Garden State Council to ever receive this certificate, and either the first or second Scout from this area (records aren’t clear) to receive this award since the merger that created Southern New Jersey Council in 1998.

James, we’re all very proud of you.