Former Navy Officer Receives Scouting’s Highest Service Honor

Daniel Zaccara to be honored for years of service to Scouting

 

San Diego, CA – May 23, 2008 — Former Naval officer Daniel Zaccara, of Allen, Texas, has significantly impacted thousands of youth through his volunteer leadership in the Boy Scouts of America. For his years of service to youth, the BSA National Council will honor him with the Silver Buffalo Award at its Annual Meeting in San Diego on May 23.

            The Silver Buffalo Award, Scouting’s highest commendation for service to youth, has been awarded annually since 1925 to civic-minded men and women who stand out for their invaluable contributions and service to the youth of America.

Since 1998, Zaccara has helped reinvent leadership training in the Boy Scout program. Through his efforts, both Scouts and Scouters now receive consistent, comprehensive training that employs the best practices from business and industry. He led the task force that created National Youth Leadership Training and went on to coordinate the design of the National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience at Philmont Scout Ranch.

Zaccara serves at the national level on the Boy Scout Training Task Force and the Boy Scout Committee. He has participated in the last five national Scout jamborees. He serves as council commissioner in the Circle Ten Council and was active in several other local councils during a 32-year career with Procter & Gamble.

“Dan has dedicated himself to transitioning the BSA into the 21st Century,” said Bob Mazzuca, Chief Scout Executive. “We are proud to recognize his years of service to our organization, especially through his commitment to teaching Scouts strong leadership qualities.”

Zaccara’s many Scouting honors include the Silver Antelope and Silver Beaver awards, District Award of Merit, and Scoutmaster Award of Merit. He is a member of the Order of the Arrow, the Scouting Heritage Society, and

Founders Circle
. He holds life memberships in Pi Sigma Epsilon, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the National Association of United Methodist Scouters.

A graduate of Pace University, Zaccara completed three deployments as a gunnery/missile officer during the Vietnam War. He then remained in the Navy and served as officer of the deck on the USS Okinawa during the recovery of Apollo 15. Zaccara and his wife, Sammie, have one son, Christopher, who is an Eagle Scout and an active Scouting volunteer.

 
About the Boy Scouts of America

Serving more than 4.6 million youth between the ages of 7 and 20, with more than 300 councils throughout the United States and its territories, the BSA is the nation's foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. The Scouting movement is composed of 1.2 million volunteers, whose dedication of time and resources has enabled the BSA to remain the nation's leading youth-service organization. For more information on the BSA, please visit www.scouting.org.