January 29, 2007

Chuck Bruhn Receives Spurgeon Award For Support Of Exploring

SILVIS, Ill. – Chuck Bruhn was not involved in Exploring Scouting as a youth, but as an adult he is having an impact on the lives of youth as a sponsor and loyal supporter.

Bruhn, the CEO of Genesis Medical Center, Illini Campus, has been recognized for his contributions to Exploring by being named the winner of the Illowa Council Exploring Spurgeon Award.

The Spurgeon Award recognizes individuals or organizations contributing significant leadership to the Exploring program. The award is presented nationally and regionally.

“The Spurgeon Award is an opportunity for the Illowa Boy Scout Council to regognize outstanding contributions by an individual to education and youth development,’’ said Tom McDermott, Executive Director, Illowa Boy Scout Council. “Chuck Bruhn has done so much over the years by giving his efforts and energy to assuring that youth of the Quad Cities have a head start on choosing a career either in a health field, or another field.’’

For the past five years, Bruhn as served as sponsor of Exploring Post 802, which is the health careers Post based at Genesis Medical Center, Illini Campus.

Bruhn has been the catalyst in encouraging physicians and staff throughout the hospital to support the career program for Explorers interested in health care fields.

Bruhn also has been instrumental in the success of one of the Illowa Council’s largest Boy Scout merit badge programs. Each year, Genesis Medical Center, Illini Campus hosts scout and leaders from throughout the region as they work on First Aid and Medicine merit badges.  The merit badge day at Illini is run entirely by physicians, nurses, health care professionals and the Explorers of Post 802.

More than 750 scouts have participated in the merit badge days at Illini.

For the past five years, Chuck Bruhn has served as member of the Illowa Council Executive Board.  He has served as Vice President of Learning for Life and on the Illowa Council executive board.

The William H. Spurgeon III Award was developed in 1971 in honor of the man who is regarded as the major leader in the development of special-interest Exploring.  Spurgeon was a business executive who personally organized many special-interest posts in the 1960s.  He died in 1970.

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