The Adventure West Council, Boy Scouts of America hosts its annual Tri-Trails Distinguished Citizen Dinner, on Thursday, May 2, 2024, recognizing Rick and Patti Ediger, and Drew Varner of Troop 216, in Alliance, Ne., with the Tri-Trails District Distinguished Citizens Award and Distinguished Scout Award.
This year’s fundraising objective is to raise funds to support the Adventure West Council, Boy Scouts of America. The event will be held at the Gering Civic Center in Gering with Kevin Mooney serving as Master of Ceremonies.
The Tri-Trails District Distinguished Citizens and Scout Award is given to individuals who embody the high ideals of Scouting, civic pride, leadership, and high integrity and are dedicated to improving our community and making it a better place. The dinner is a vehicle used by Scouting BSA in the Panhandle to raise needed funds and to honor significant contributions to Scottsbluff and our surrounding communities.
What do you get when you combine youth with high ideals of Scouting, civic pride, leadership, and high integrity and are dedicated to improving our community and making it a better place?
The list of Scouts includes presidents, Pulitzer Prize recipients, astronauts, athletes, celebrities, CEOs and so many more incredible citizens.
Neil Armstrong, astronaut and first man to walk on the moon (Eagle Scout, Class of 1947)
Gitanjali Rao, inventor, STEM Scout, and the first-ever Time Kid of the Year in 2020
Hank Aaron, baseball Hall of Famer
Michael Jordan, former NBA player, and current NBA team owner
Walter Cronkite, journalist, CBS Evening News anchor
Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights icon
Andy Griffith, actor in The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock
Jay Leno, former host of NBC’s The Tonight Show
George W. Bush, 43rd U.S. president
John F. Kennedy, 35th U.S. president
Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft
Leo K. Thorsness, Air Force colonel who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Vietnam War (Eagle Scout, Class of 1949)
Arthur Eldred, first Eagle Scout and Navy veteran (Eagle Scout, Class of 1912)
And last year’s Distinguished Citizens Owen and Karen Palm and Distinguished Scout, Jacob Trevino, to name just a few.
To learn more about the Adventure West Council or to join Scouting: www.awbsa.org.
2024 Distinguished Citizens and Scouts have made their mark in the Panhandle communities and will continue to serve their communities for years to come. Rick and Patti Ediger recently celebrated their Golden Anniversary – 50 years of marriage – marked by dedication to their family, community, and careers in education and law. They are being further honored as distinguished citizens for their remarkable contributions.
The couple were married in December 1973 in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and initially settled in York, Nebraska, where Patti was teaching. Soon after, they moved to Lincoln where Rick pursued his legal studies at the University of Nebraska Law School while Patti taught 5th and 6th Grade within the Lincoln Public Schools system.
Following Rick’s Law School graduation, they relocated to Gering, where he commenced his legal career at the firm that later became known as Simmons Olsen Law Firm. Patti, passionate about her work, remained committed to teaching and served the Gering Public Schools until her retirement in 2013. Throughout her career in education, she worked with students in many settings and grade levels as an advocate for specialized student instruction. As a Special Education Teacher, Patti provided her students and many district teachers support while making accommodations and modifications to meet her students’ specific needs.
Beyond their professional accomplishments, Rick and Patti have significantly enriched the Gering community through their extensive involvement in various organizations. Notably, they have held leadership positions, serving as presidents or chairs for many of these groups.
Their dedication to youth development extends to their own family and their involvement in Scouting. Patti’s journey began as a Den Mother for Pack 18 in Gering. Rick then served as Assistant Scoutmaster and Scoutmaster of Troop 3 and served on the district level as Roundtable Commissioner.
Rick and Patti are immensely proud parents to their three children – Patrick, Matthew (Kathryn), and Libby (Luke) Stobel – and find immense joy in spending time with their five grandchildren. Patrick, an Eagle Scout, leverages his talents as an Interior Designer in Los Angeles, California. Matthew, also an Eagle Scout, works as a Web Designer and resides with his family in Lakewood, Colorado. Libby and her family live in Scottsbluff, where she practices law with the Simmons Olsen Law Firm, and continues the family tradition of community involvement.
As they celebrate this momentous occasion, Rick and Patti’s dedication to their family, community, and chosen professions inspires all. Their recognition as distinguished citizens is a well-deserved tribute to their lifelong commitment to making a positive impact.
Drew Varner, our 2024 Outstanding Scout, joined Scouting in 2017 with Troop 216 in Alliance, NE of the Adventure West Council and credits Scouting for instilling in him the values of the Scout’s Oath and Law. “Scouting has instilled in me the values of the Scout Oath and Law and has been the moral compass that I will call on throughout my life,” he says. Throughout his high school years, not only has he been active in scouts, but also cross country for three years, football for one year, wresting, golf for four years, One-Act for four years, Band for one-year, National Honor Society for three, Student Council for four, Science Olympiad for two, Quiz Bowl for four and maintained a 3.92 GPA. Drew will be graduating from Hemingford High School on May 11, 2024, and will attend the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, NE in August. He plans to major in Mechanical Engineering. In addition to earning his Eagle Scout rank, he has also earned his Bronze and Gold Palms.
Drew has served his Troop proudly by earning the leadership roles of Patrol Leader, Senior Patrol Leader, and Troop Guide. He and his troop have positively affected their community by organizing and performing many community service projects such as trash pickups, trail refurbishments, food drives, landscaping, firework cleanups, youth wrestling, and various other smaller projects.
Drew’s favorite Scout outings were summer camps where he could be out in nature with his troops and other troops. He loves to get to know the other members and interact with them. He loves nature and learning about forestry.
His Eagle Scout project consisted of the refurbishment of the Hemingford school parking lot. The reason why he chose to do this is that he was embarrassed by how the parking lot looked and wanted to clean it up and make it presentable for visitors and students to be able to use it. Also, there were no trash cans there and everyone would just throw their trash on the ground and now the school looks nice.
“I want to thank my Troop, the Leaders, my community, and especially my parents for always being here for me and guiding me. It was a dream I had when I first joined Scouts. “The journey to Eagle has taught me more than I could ever hope to have learned and I will use it throughout the rest of my life.”
Please plan to attend the Distinguished Citizens Dinner to learn more about Rick & Patti Ediger and Drew Varner, and how they have shared their lives with the Adventure West Council, Boy Scouts of America, and the Panhandle of Nebraska. Your contribution will help the Adventure West Council, and Boy Scouts of America to continue delivering a high-quality program for youth throughout Western Nebraska and Eastern Wyoming. Thank you for your support of the Scouting program!
