SILVER CLAWs
What is a Silver Claw?
When one attends SWC, he or she receives a bear claw to verify attendance. Look around your district events and you will see Scouters wearing one or more. When one serves as Scoutmaster of the SWC, the claw that is presented to him or her is not a bear claw but a Silver Eagle Claw.
If a “has-been” is still a member of a Scouting Unit, he/she may still attend SWC as a participant in that unit’s patrol. However, many has-beens are often not actively connected in a Unit, but are still active in various other positions. So the has-beens formed the “Silver Claw” Patrol comprised exclusively of past Scoutmasters.
Origin of the Silver Claws
The transition to Silver Claws began as a way to keep the SWC Staff fresh and welcoming to new staffers. Before this policy, the SWC staff was close to being staffed by “old Scoutmasters” and not enough new Scouters. To prevent SWC from developing a “select” staff, a policy was made to restrict past Scoutmasters from ever serving on the SWC staff again (with the one exception of the last Scoutmaster serving in an advisory capacity the following year).
Being a Silver Claw at SWC
Silver Claws camp as a patrol if they have no other patrol ties. They do not compete for awards with the other SWC patrols but do join in many of the activities and games just for the fun of it.
Silver Claws are available for special service activities, if the current Scoutmaster needs assistance. Several members do perform services and camp with the Silver Claws at the same time.
Creating the Silver Claw Patrol has made freed up staff position opportunities for new Scouters and created a great patrol, deep with experience.
Membership grows by just one each year and is permanent, regardless of their active involvement in Scouting, relocation, change of districts or councils, or move on to that great Campground in the sky.
Since 1970, the Scoutmaster traditionally serves one year and returns the following year as “Advisor”. After serving as Advisor, he/she joins the Silver Claw patrol.
Silver Claw Patrol Roster
Past SWC Scoutmasters
| YEAR | SCOUTMASTER | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1968 | Homer Powell * |
| 2 | 1970 | Homer Powell * |
| 3 | 1971 | Sieg Gruener * |
| 4 | 1972 | Elton Adams * |
| 5 | 1973 | Bill Craig |
| 6 | 1974 | Tom Ogletree |
| 7 | 1975 | Bill Barber * |
| 8 | 1976 | Jim Moody |
| 9 | 1977 | Hank Thornburgh |
| 10 | 1978 | Henry Branton |
| 11 | 1979 | Dave Lipscomb * |
| 12 | 1980 | Bob Claunch * |
| 13 | 1981 | Rob Roper |
| 14 | 1982 | Mike Fletcher |
| 15 | 1983 | Bill Hight |
| 16 | 1984 | Hart Gates * |
| 17 | 1985 | Malcom Bowles * |
| 18 | 1986 | Jim Vaughn * |
| 19 | 1987 | Ted Vinson |
| 20 | 1988 | Dan Worley |
| 21 | 1989 | Bill Collier * |
| 22 | 1990 | Eddie Gomez |
| 23 | 1991 | Cliff McMahan |
| 24 | 1992 | Bill Hill |
| 25 | 1993 | Bion Jones |
| 26 | 1994 | Steve Fisher |
| 27 | 1995 | Russ Parker * |
| 28 | 1996 | Bill Bass |
| 29 | 1997 | Don Prince |
| 30 | 1998 | Tom Sprayberry |
| 31 | 1999 | David Adams |
| 32 | 2000 | Sam Johnson |
| YEAR | SCOUTMASTER | |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | 2001 | Terry Nunn |
| 34 | 2002 | Dave Heusinger |
| 35 | 2003 | Ray Hopkins |
| 36 | 2004 | David Muller |
| 37 | 2005 | Pat Bonito |
| 38 | 2006 | Michele Lavigne |
| 39 | 2007 | Don Snyder |
| 40 | 2008 | Dave Parks |
| 41 | 2009 | Tom Morin * |
| 42 | 2010 | John Keeshan |
| 43 | 2011 | Warren Wright |
| 44 | 2012 | Dennis Rowe |
| 45 | 2013 | Dan Wright |
| 46 | 2014 | Paul Fitzner |
| 47 | 2015 | Dave Schimmel |
| 48 | 2016 | Trent Trees |
| 49 | 2017 | Bob Higgins |
| 50 | 2018 | Audrey Taylor |
| 51 | 2019 | Sherry Wright |
| 52 | 2020 | Greg Knight |
| 53 | 2021 | Bill Jones |
| 54 | 2022 | Bob Griffin |
| 55 | 2023 | Tracy Jones |
| 56 | 2024 | |
| 57 | 2025 | TBD |
| 58 | 2026 | TBD |
| 59 | 2027 | TBD |
| 60 | 2028 | TBD |
| 61 | 2029 | TBD |
| 62 | 2030 | TBD |
| 63 | 2031 | TBD |
| 64 | 2032 | TBD |
| 65 | 2033 | TBD |