A Piketon man is being honored by the Masons for his many years of service with the boys scouts.
61-year-old William Monroe DeVelin, an engineer at the Piketon Uranium Enrichment Plant, has been an adult scouter for the past 16 years, serving as head of Cub Scout Pack 14 and Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 14 which served both St. Peter’s and St. Mary’s Catholic Churches.
The Grand Lodge of Ohio and Scioto Lodge #6, Free & Accepted Masons have honored DeVelin with the Daniel Carter Beard Masonic Scouter Award for Master Masons who have made a significant contribution to youth through Scouting. Daniel Carter Beard was one of the founders of the Boy Scouts of America.
The award will be presented to DeVelin at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4th at the Masonic Temple by Keith Newton, Grand Master of all Ohio Masons. It is open to the public and will occur prior to the lodge’s regular stated meeting at 7:30 p.m.
During his time as Scoutmaster, 13 youngsters attained the rank of Eagle Scout, including his son, Tom DeVelin, who entered the Ohio National Guard during his junior summer at Waverly High School, and who later served a year in Afghanistan when his anti-missle unit was deployed there.
His daughter, Katie (Mrs. Ross Runyon) is a registered nurse in the oncology department at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus.
Bill now serves as a District Committeeman and Commissioner for the Chief Logan District of the Simon Kenton Council. Bill organized a religious retreat for Catholic Scouts in 2017 resulting in two of the scouts receiving the Ad Altare Dei Award. Last winter, he organized a first-aid meet for 50 scouts at the Ohio University, Chilllicothe, Field House. This was his 10th year running that program. He has also organized District swimming merit-badge clinics.
He became a member of Scioto Lodge #6, in 2016.
Bill and his wife Toni have been married 37 years and live in the Lake White area near Piketon.