The Scouts of the North Valley District of the Minsi Trails Council held a recognition dinner Friday, with a theme of "Recognizing Our Superheroes," at the Lehigh Township Volunteer Fire Company banquet hall, Cherryville.

The group included not only Boy Scouts of America but also Cub Scouts and Adventure Scouts, which includes both boys and girls who enjoy high adventure.

In addition, the spouses of older scouters and their children, some of whom are Girl Scouts, were also in attendance.

"Scouting is a family, and we encourage our families to all come together to be a part of it," explained North Valley District Director Diane Lariar.

The North Valley District, one of six districts within Minsi Trails Council, covers a large territory that includes the nine school districts of Catasauqua, Jim Thorpe, Lehighton, Northampton, Northern Lehigh, Northwestern, Palmerton, Parkland and Whitehall.

One of the night's most prestigious awards, called the North Valley Owl Award, is presented only within the district to scouters who have gone "above and beyond" in service to the district. This year's recipients included Susan Arner, of Palmerton, Irwin Lebo, of Allentown, Kenneth Morrow, of Bath, and Stephen Piller, of Catasauqua.

Another of the night's highlighted awards was the Award of Merit, which is similar to the Owl Award but presented on a national level and includes having gone "above and beyond" in service to one's community as well. Its 2014 North Valley District recipients included Gregory Glovas, of Danielsville, Vincent Muller, of Orefield, and Leonard Oncheck, of Allentown.

Some of the night's other awards, which have been bestowed for decades, included Training Awards, District Leadership Awards and Patriot Awards, for both individuals and packs, troops and crews.

In addition, a Doctorate of Commissioner Science, which requires "many years of dedication and effort," including a number of preliminary training courses, a bachelor's degree, master's degree and, later, a thesis and thesis project was awarded to Assistant Council Commissioner Linda Roth, of Walnutport.

Presenter Chuck Weber noted that, to date, the Minsi Trails Council has only ever awarded one other such doctorate, making Roth only the second scouter in the council to ever have achieved that honor.

It was also announced that an award will be presented this summer in Harrisburg to Troop 43 Scout Master Brian Radcliffe, of Bath, who will receive the 2014 Legionnaire's "Scouter of the Year" for Pennsylvania.

Only one such scouter is selected each year within the state, and his or her name is then forwarded to the national headquarters for national recognition.

Later, Arner, one of the night's Owl Award recipients who also organized the night's recognition dinner, says she stays involved in scouting, even though her son is now grown, because of what it does for the youth.

She said she still enjoys "getting to see these kids and what they can accomplish."

District Chair Michelle Morrow agreed, adding that participants need not have a child who is an active scout in order to stay or become involved and that, for some, scouting becomes a lifelong endeavor.

Indeed, when asked during the ceremony to stand if one had been involved in the Boy Scouts of America for 50 or more years, at least five attendees stood up.

One of them, Sonny Laudenslager, of Orefield, when asked, said he had a total of 72 years within the mostly all-volunteer program, which begun in 1910.

A dinner of chicken, ham, potatoes, mixed vegetables, pasta, green salad and fruit salad, plus cake and refreshments was presented in a somewhat formal fashion. Afterward, the awards ceremony included a "Court of Honor", which is a more formalized ceremony within the scouting program.