Knox Trail Boy Scouts Honor William Downey and George Ecker

The following is a press release from he Knox Trail Council National Eagle Scout Association, based in Framingham:

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The Knox Trail Council National Eagle Scout Association Committee awarded the Outstanding Eagle Scout Award to William Downey of Marlborough and George Ecker of Wellesley at its annual recognition dinner.

The Outstanding Eagle Scout Award is presented to Eagle Scouts who have demonstrated
outstanding achievement at the local, state or regional level.

“We are pleased to honor Bill and George for their professional accomplishments and service to Scouting, which embody the rank of Eagle Scout,” said Paul Sliney, Knox Trail Council National Eagle Scout Association Committee Secretary and the council’s Immediate Past President. “Both men serve our council with distinction and are role models to the leaders of tomorrow.”

During the dinner, the Knox Trail Council National Eagle Scout Association Committee presented Downey and Ecker with Outstanding Eagle Scout medals, and certificates from the National Council Boy Scout of America.

William Downey of Marlborough is a distinguished leader in the fields of education and management with decades of service to Scouting. Downey earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 1959 and went on to serve in various leadership capacities including Principal of Marlborough Middle School from 1984 to 2002. He currently serves as the Licensure
Officer at Worcester State University, and as an Educational Consultant, and School and Focus Assessment Coordinator for the New England League of Middle Schools.

George Ecker of Wellesley is a scholar and leader in the fields of sociology, higher education administration and organizational behavior. Ecker, who earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 1956, advanced through academia, earning advanced degrees at Cornell and Stanford Universities, working as a National Institute of Mental Health Post-Doctoral Fellow and then becoming a member of the Ohio State University Graduate School faculty where he received an Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching. Ecker later entered the business world as a consultant to several firms, working on projects including one with NASA in the wake of the Columbia disaster. Earlier in his career, Ecker served with the U.S. Army Intelligence Corps in Europe.

Both Outstanding Eagles Scouts are longtime Scouters who have held various potions on the local, council and regional levels.

Downey is a Past President of Knox Trail Council, now serving concurrently on the BSA Northeast Region and Knox Trail Council Boards of Directors.

Ecker is an Assistant Scoutmaster with Troop 185 Wellesley, and coordinates the rollouts of American Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED and Wilderness and Remote First Aid training throughout Knox Trail Council

Boy Scout councils across the United States are eligible to award the Outstanding Eagle Scout award based on the number of Boy Scouts achieving the rank of Eagle Scout in a given calendar year.

The Knox Trail Council NESA Committee is a group of Eagle Scouts, appointed by the Knox Trail Council President, who work in conjunction with the National Eagle Scout Association to serve Eagle Scouts located within the 21 communities of the Knox Trail Council and, through them, the entire movement of Scouting.

The Knox Trail Council, Boy Scouts of America delivers the Boy Scouting program to youth within 21 communities of the MetroWest area. The Boy Scouting program serves youth from first grade through age 20 in the areas of outdoor skills, personal fitness, leadership, and lifelong ethical values.