50th anniversary of Alpha Omega scouting award

(EOCS) - ALPHA-OMEGA 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATED – On Sunday, February 12, 2006, the 50th anniversary of the first Alpha-Omega Award Presentation was celebrated in Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Johnstown, PA. It was in Johnstown at Christ the Saviour Church that 14 young scouts (13 of them from the Cathedral and one from SS.Peter and Paul Church in Windber, PA) fifty years ago were the very first recipients of this new Eastern Orthodox Award established by the Orthodox Church.

The anniversary day was marked with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy by His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicholas, assisted by Protopresbyter Frank P. Miloro, Cathedral Dean; Hieromonk Matthias (Moriak), associate pastor; and Deacon Elijah Bremer. Three of the original 14 Scouts are reposed in the Lord. Of the remaining eleven, five were able to be present for the anniversary Liturgy. At the conclusion of Liturgy, Father Miloro spoke about scouting in the 1950’s which led to the establishment of the Alpha-Omega Award in 1955.

It is noted that it was through the efforts of Metropolitan Orestes, of Thrice Blessed Memory, and the assistance of Very Rev. Protopresbyter Elias Kozar that this Pan-Orthodox Scouting award was established. His Eminence presented award certificates from the Diocese, as well as letters of commendation that were submitted by George Boulukos, national chairman of the Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting. Present for the ceremony were two officers of Penn’s Woods Council, Boy Scouts of America: Mick Bolvin, Keystone District Commissioner, and Cindy Komar-Grose, Keystone District Executive.