Saturday, March 7, 2026
11:00 am
Dougherty Valley Station Community Arts Center
Click on a blue program feature to learn more about the award and the honorees.
Color Guard & National AnthemOrder of the Arrow – Willis Sargent
InvocationWayne Bishop
WelcomeTom Farris
Council President RemarksMatt Ariker
Council Alumnus of the YearJoe Barton
Fundraising Award Brian Weaver
Woods Services AwardTony Mei
Council Duty to God AwardsSkip Phair
2025 Silver Beaver AwardsPhil Weiss
ClosingTom Farris
Tom is a veteran Scouter who has volunteered in all aspects of the Scouting program. He currently serves as the Council Camping Chair and is an active member of the Endowment Committee and the National Eagle Scout Association. He has been a registered leader with Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Exploring. Tom has the Distinguished Commissioner’s Service Award, District Award of Merit, Silver Beaver Award and is a Vigil Honor member in the Order of the Arrow. He serves on the GGAC Executive Board.
Matt was elected the third President of the Golden Gate Area Council in February 2026.
The Council Alumnus of the Year Award is different from other awards in Scouting as it does not simply recognize the individual for being a distinguished person or honor those giving time and energy to Scouting America as a volunteer leader; Scouting already has awards that do that. It is more of a combination between the two. Click to learn more about the Council Alumnus of the Year Award
He is the first Council Alumnus of the Year for the Golden Gate Area Council. Through leadership on the council’s NESA Committee, he has helped strengthen Eagle Scout alumni engagement through Eagle’s Nest gatherings, the Eagle Scout Campfire, and support of the annual Eagle Scout Recognition Event, while also supporting the Royaneh 100 celebration and the Wood Badge Alumni group. He serves on the GGAC Executive Board and as Council Camping Chair.
The Scouting Veteran Award was established to recognize those Scouters who have distinguished themselves with an extended tour of duty in the Scouting program. Tenure need not be continuous, but only registered years as a youth and adult can be counted. Click to learn more about the Veteran Award.
Each year, the national Woods Services Award is given to one or two Scouting volunteers for exceptional service and leadership in the field of Special Needs Scouting.
The Woods Services and Residential Treatment Center, in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, presents the award every year. The Center is a leading advocacy and service organization that provides educational, residential, and vocational services to children and adults with special needs. The award was established in 1978 in memory of Luther Wellington Lord, a residential supervisor for more than 23 years at the Center. An active Scouter, the award was established in recognition of his service to youth through Scouting at the local and national levels. Click to learn more about the Wood Services Award.
The Council Duty to God Award recognizes registered Scout leaders who have demonstrated an exemplary history of transformational leadership in supporting and promoting the spiritual foundation of Scouting at the local level. It distinguishes Scouters who selflessly work to prepare youth for life by perpetuating the merit and legacy of a Scout’s duty to their Creator. Click to learn more about the Council Duty to God Award.
Wayne Bishop embodies the values and personal attributes of both his faith and Scouting in all that he does. As chair of the Golden Gate Area Council Religious Relations Committee, Wayne has recruited a broad multi-faith committee, greatly improved the council religious emblems web site, encouraged faith-based charter partners, and introduced the “Scouts Read Sacred Text” program. Wayne co-chairs Vanguard International Scouting association which offers religious emblems to scouts of the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints. He has served on the staff of 10 National Jamborees. Wayne has been recognized for his contribution with the LDS On My Honor award, the Silver Beaver and Silver Antelope.
Jill Tarkoff is a true servant leader and a passionate promoter of Duty to God in Scouting. She has taught the religious emblems programs at L.E.A.D. for five years. She has served as chaplain for several Wood Badge courses and WebeloRes. Jill is an active member of the Jewish Committee on Scouting and been recognized with the Shofar adult religious emblem. She has encouraged multi-faith observance of Scout Sabbath and Scout Sunday, worked with Bay Area Rabbi to get youth to join packs and troops, and organized a conference for Bay Area Rabbis.
The Silver Beaver Award was introduced in 1931 and is a council-level distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America. Recipients of this award are registered Scouters who have made an impact on the lives of youth through service given at the council level.
A special thank you to all the volunteers and teams who helped make this great event occur.
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Order of the Arrow
