Hillcourt Foundation recognizes 13 for their contributions to Scouting history

As a way to say thank you to more people who’ve donated decades of service to the preservation of Scouting America’s history, the Hillcourt Foundation has expanded its awards program by creating the Hillcourt Bronze Medal and honoring 13 volunteers with the prestigious award.

The medal is given for distinguished contributions on a local or regional level to the history of the Scouting movement. In 2024 — a year shy of what would have been Bill Hillcourt’s 125^th birthday — the foundation created the Hillcourt Silver Medal, which annually recognizes distinguished contributions to Scout history on a national or international level.

The Hillcourt Foundation announced winners of the inaugural bronze medal class last month.

“These historians have done so much for Scouting, and what makes it even more special is that a person cannot apply for the medal,” says Nelson Block, chairman and president of the “Green Bar Bill” Hillcourt Foundation. (Scroll to the end to learn more about Green Bar Bill.) “Someone else notices your contributions, researches your work and describes what you’ve done over the years. It was always our intent to expand the history medals program.”

Contributions to the history of Scouting or guiding may be in any form or medium, including publications, articles, museums, displays, speeches, conferences, panels, film and art, as determined by the awards committee and board of directors. The Hillcourt Foundation plans to award bronze medals three times each year.

Information and nomination forms for the silver and bronze medals can be found on the Hillcourt Foundation website.

Meet the first bronze medal winners:

Lawrence W. Banks Jr., Mecklenburg County Council
Larry Banks has been Scoutmaster of Troop 19 in Mecklenburg County Council since 1988. He has collected, documented and donated thousands of Scouting patches, uniforms, awards and memorabilia covering Scouting and the Order of the Arrow. He wrote a history of the local Order of the Arrow lodge, including its non-OA precursor.

Christopher D. Brightwell, Greater Alabama Council
Christopher Brightwell developed the requirements and patch for North Alabama’s Coosa Lodge historian award. A speaker and volunteer at numerous historical conferences and the 2019 National Scouting Historian Summit, he will serve as chair for the 2026 National Jamboree oral history project. He led the development and implementation of North Alabama Scouting history digital cracker barrels, a monthly event where historians gather to exchange stories about Scouting in the region.

Henry C. “Tripp” Clark III, Indian Waters Council
Tripp Clark III self-published a book about the history of the Central South Carolina Council (now Indian Waters Council). He also developed a website, trippclark.com, that features council historical information. He has the largest collection of memorabilia from the council and displays it at numerous events.

Michael G. Comfort, Cradle of Liberty Council
Michael Comfort has written several publications on Scouting in the greater Philadelphia area, including A History of the Valley Forge Pilgrimage and Encampment. He serves as associate advisor of the Unami Lodge, One History Committee — a position he’s held since the group’s inception in 2018.

Carl Grady Eades III, Middle Tennessee Council
Carl Eades developed the historical website virtualboxwell.org, which features weekly posts about the history of Scouting in middle Tennessee. Launched in 2012, the site contains a virtual museum, special exhibits, and a section that preserves rosters and images of camp staff.

Albertus Hoogeveen, Orange County Council
Albertus Hoogeveen co-authored A History of Scouting Through Insignia as part of a book series beginning in 1976. It documents the evolution of Boy Scouts of America and is considered a landmark reference in Scouting memorabilia collecting.

Brian Kanuik, Northeastern Pennsylvania Council
Brian Kanuik maintains one of the largest collections of Scoutmaster resources on the East Coast. He shared the first digital images of the complete 1938 Procedural Quality and Recommended Practices guide from an archive in England so Scouters could better understand Scouting.

Luis R. Machuca, Puerto Rico Council
Luis Machuca spent eight years researching the history of Scouting in Puerto Rico, solidifying his status as the island’s most respected source. He’s often asked to speak about the history of Order of the Arrow Yokahu Lodge 506, which serves all municipalities in Puerto Rico.

Peter N. Mastopoulos, Ed.D., Coastal Georgia Council
Peter Mastopoulos is considered one of the nation’s most knowledgeable experts on Camp O’Hara, the segregated Scout camp of the Coastal Empire Council. Camp O’Hara was used until 1970, when the nearby Camp Strachan was integrated. He attended the 2008 Johns Hopkins University symposium on the centennial of Scouting, remains an active participant in Scouting events and displays memorabilia from his collections.

Jan L. Medlam, Quivira Council
Jan Medlam researched and documented the history of Quivira Council for its 100^th anniversary in 2023. An abbreviated version of his 400-page book was published for the council’s spring camporee that year. He has worked for 57 years with the Black Jack Trail crew, the council’s longest-running event. His Black Jack trail guide has been used by participants since 1976.

John L. Ropiequet, Northeast Illinois Council
For more than 11 years as a member of the Northeast Illinois Council History Committee, John has documented, researched and shared the story of Scouting in Northeastern Illinois. His work includes 17 books and 10 articles encompassing the histories of the Evanston, North Shore Area and Oak Plain Councils, which merged to form the Northeast Illinois Council. He has written extensively about the Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan Lodge 40 of the Order of the Arrow and Camp Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan.

John Smilek, Tecumseh Council
Nearly two decades after he organized and improved the display of Tecumseh Council historical artifacts, John Smilek remains in charge of the museum. His research includes the history of Camp Birch and the Tarhe Order of the Arrow lodge. His research revealed the history of Camp Miami, the council’s first camp, the origins of which were previously unknown. His book, Boy Scout Merit Badge Pamphlets: A History and Reference, was published earlier this year.

Gregory D. Sweatmon, Greater Alabama Council
Greg Sweatmon is part of a team that co-authored two memorabilia guides documenting the 95-year history of Scouting in the region. The project catalogs nearly 1,000 individual patches. A counselor for the Scouting Heritage merit badge, he attends numerous district, lodge and council events to display his collections. He attended the 2019 National Scouting Historian Summit and staffed the museums at the 2022 and 2024 National Order of the Arrow conferences.

Who was Green Bar Bill?

Born in 1900 in Denmark, Hillcourt became one of the first Scouts in the country at age 10. Active as a youth and young adult, he was a leader and writer for the Danish Scout Association. He moved to the United States in 1926, devoting his life to the Boy Scouts of America as a professional writer and a volunteer leader. He authored several editions of the Boy Scout Handbook, Handbook for Scoutmasters, Scout Fieldbook and hundreds of popular articles on Scout skills and activities in what was then called Boys’ Life magazine under the name “Green Bar Bill” — based on the patrol leader’s badge of two horizontal green bars. Hillcourt authored the first scholarly biography of Scouting’s founder, Baden-Powell: The Two Lives of a Hero, with the help of Lady Baden-Powell. After retiring in 1965, he spent almost three decades teaching advanced Scouting techniques to leaders around the globe, earning him the title “Scoutmaster to the World.”

What is the “Green Bar Bill” Hillcourt Foundation?

The estates of Hillcourt and his wife, Grace, were left in trust to fund the “Green Bar Bill” Hillcourt Foundation, which supports Scout programming and history and serves as his literary executor and the custodian of his extensive collection of Scout memorabilia, books and personal papers, now on long-term loan at the National Scouting Museum at Philmont Scout Ranch.

For the last 16 years, the Hillcourt Foundation has supported independent scholarly work on the history of Scouting as a sponsor of programs such as “Scouting: A Centennial History Symposium” at Johns Hopkins University in 2008; a panel on international Scouting history at the American Historical Association annual meeting in 2015; and a panel on the comparative history of aspects of Scouting in the United States and Sweden at the Society for the History of Children and Youth annual meeting in 2015, as well as the National Scouting Historian Summit at Philmont for Scout youth and leaders in 2019. The foundation is a frequent contributor to the National Scouting Museum and various volunteer efforts in Scouting history. It also supports activities at national and international Scout events.