Joseph A. Brunton Jr. (June 26, 1902 – July 8, 1988) was a career professional for the
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded i ...
, and served the BSA National Council as the fourth
Chief Scout Executive
The Chief Scout Executive is the top professional of the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America. In most similar non-profit organizations, this is equivalent to the position of CEO, national executive director or secretary general.
Roger ...
from 1960 to 1966.
Boys' Life Magazine
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BSA career
Joseph Brunton became a professional Scouter at an early age, and served in several local council positions, including council scout executive. He became a member of the BSA National Council in 1952, and succeeded Ray O. Wyland as Director of Church Relations until 1957, when he was promoted to senior management
He was appointed by the BSA National Executive Board to become the next Chief Scout Executive in 1960. During his tenure, youth membership continued to expand in both Cub Scouting and Boy Scouting. Various changes were made to the Exploring program, including a stronger emphasis on career exploration and post specialty programs, in order to retain teenage youth members and attract additional teens to the program.
Order of the Arrow
Brunton was a Scout executive of the Chester County Council
The Chester County Council is a Boy Scouts of America service council that serves members of the Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, and Venturing programs in Chester County, Pennsylvania and Northeastern Cecil County, Maryland. It is one of the oldest c ...
and one of the charter members of its Order of the Arrow
The Order of the Arrow (OA) is the honor society of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), composed of Scouts and Scouters who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives as elected by their peers. The society was created by E. Urner G ...
Octoraro Lodge #22. He volunteered considerably for the Order during his professional career, served as a National OA officer, and was elected National Chief when adults still served in those positions. He was instrumental in creating the OA Distinguished Service Award first given at the 1940 National Lodge meeting, and he himself later received the Award in 1946.
Honors
Brunton was awarded the Bronze Wolf
The Bronze Wolf Award is bestowed by the World Scout Committee (WSC) to acknowledge "outstanding service by an individual to the World Scout Movement". It is the highest honor that can be given a volunteer Scout leader in the world and it is the ...
, the only distinction of the World Organization of the Scout Movement
The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM ) is the largest international Scouting organization. WOSM has 173 members. These members are recognized national Scout organizations, which collectively have around 43 million participants. WOS ...
, awarded by the World Scout Committee
The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM ) is the largest international Scouting organization. WOSM has 173 members. These members are recognized national Scout organizations, which collectively have around 43 million participants. WOSM ...
for exceptional services to world Scouting, in 1965.
The Freedoms Foundation
The Freedoms Foundation is an American non-profit, non-partisan, non-sectarian educational organization, founded in 1949. The foundation is located adjacent to the Valley Forge National Historical Park, near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
Bill of R ...
of Valley Forge presented Brunton with its American Patriots Medal, in 1959, the first given out.
Alpha Phi Omega
Alpha Phi Omega (), commonly known as APO, but also A-Phi-O and A-Phi-Q, is a coeducational service fraternity. It is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of over 25,0 ...
National Service Fraternity, recognized Joseph Brunton as their Fall 1960 Pledge Class Namesake and presented him with its National Distinguished Service Award in 1966.
See also
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brunton, Joseph
Recipients of the Bronze Wolf Award
Chief Scout Executives
1902 births
1988 deaths
20th-century American businesspeople