Community: Boy Scouts honor adult members at annual event
Four adult members of Boy Scouts of America, Verdugo Hills Council, were recently recognized for their distinguished service to youth in scouting and in the community at the council’s annual business meeting at the Embassy Suites in Glendale.
Arto Kazarians of Glendale; Barry Ross and Don Tyndall, both of Burbank, and Kathy Perea of Arleta were voted by their peers to receive the Silver Beaver recognition, the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a scouter by the local council.
Arto Kazarians started his scouting career at age 8 as a member of the Ararat Cultural Organization Cub Scout pack and later transferred to a Boy Scout troop in Tehran. He has been a member of the Homenetmen Glendale Ararat chapter since 1998 and became cub master of Pack 153 when his children joined the pack.
In 2007, he became scoutmaster of Troop 154, and was instrumental in that troop’s Boy Scouts becoming the first in the Homenetmen Western USA Region to achieve the Eagle Scout rank.
He has continued a private practice in civil and structural engineering since 1983. He was the structural engineer and member of the construction committee for St. Gregory’s Armenian Church in Pasadena and gave time to renovations at St. Mary’s Armenian Church in Glendale.
In addition, he is the civil and structural engineer for the Armenian Genocide Memorial project in Pasadena, which will be dedicated in April 2015 at the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
Barry Ross began his scouting career at age 8 as a member of Pack 9 in Glendale. After earning the Arrow of Light as a Webelos, he graduated to Troop 117. He attended the sixth National Jamboree at Valley Forge, Penn., in 1964, and became an Eagle Scout in 1965. At 18, he became assistant scoutmaster of Troop 117 and served on the troop committee.
He served as district chairman for the San Rafael District (Glendale and Eagle Rock) for two years and was a troop commissioner for the district for several years. As council training chairman for two years, he conducted numerous Scouting leadership training programs.
Ross has been a real estate attorney and educator since 1976. He is a past president of the West Glendale Kiwanis Club, is a member of the Burbank Noon Kiwanis Club, past master of Glendale Masonic Lodge #368 and a member of Glendale Elks Lodge #1289.
Donald Tyndall has been a Scout and adult leader during the more than 27 years he has been involved in Scouting. His adult participation began when his son, Geoff, joined Cub Scouts. With Pack 201, Donald Tyndall was pack committee chair for three years and Camp Akela course director for two years.
After his son bridged to Boy Scouts, he became a troop training coordinator and is a merit badge counselor, training coordinator for Troop 209 and a member of the Verdugo Hills Council Training and Advancement committees.
In addition, he is a member of the Area 4 Training Committee, serving 10 Boy Scout councils from Los Padres to the Inland Empire. He is also involved in the vocal music programs at Jordan Middle School and Burroughs High School.
Kathy Perea became involved with Scouting when her son, Zack, joined Pack 212 in Burbank as a Wolf. When Zack bridged to 210, his mom continued to participate, first as committee member and treasurer and now is assistant scoutmaster and events chair. She has also served as district commissioner for the Iron Eyes Cody District. She has also volunteered with the council in many capacities.
She helped to start up and organize Pack 435, a new pack out of Edison Elementary School in Glendale. At American Lutheran Elementary School, she has served on the Parent Teachers Organization, was a room parent, chaired numerous events and organized fundraisers.
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JOYCE RUDOLPH can be contacted at rudolphjoyce10@gmail.com.