The Jayhawk Council Awards Committee is pleased to announce the honorees for the Silver Beaver Awards. Please join us at the Council Recognition Banquet for the presentation of the awards on February 7, 2026, at the Bishop Professional Center.
First, the Jayhawk Area Council would like to thank the Selection Committee for their time and dedication to selecting the two best Nominations to receive the Silver Beaver Award. The Council is allowed to select two individuals each year, based on our size of Council, for this prestigious Award. The Silver Beaver Award recognizes the time, dedication, and commitment a Scouter has made as an adult to provide leadership and support at the Unit, District, and Council levels. These recipients represent the “best of the best” in providing the best Scouting experience for our Youth.
Silver Beaver Award goes to….
Chaz Havens –
Dr. Charles “Chaz” Havens has lived the values of Scouting for nearly four decades. He joined the program as a Tiger Scout in Pack 15 in 1986 and fondly remembers early adventures like touring the local fire station and watching a firetruck leave on an emergency call. Chaz earned his Arrow of Light and continued into Scouts BSA with Troop 59 and later Troop 69, where he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 1998—one week before his 18th birthday, thanks, as he says, to “a swift kick of encouragement from his mother.”
Scouting became a family journey when his son joined Cub Scouts at Pack 59. Chaz returned to serve the next generation as a Den Leader and Cubmaster, and later followed his son to Troop 249, where he served for several years as Scoutmaster. At the district and council levels, he has been deeply involved as a merit badge counselor, Wood Badge staff member, Trainer’s Edge trainer, District Training Chair, and committee member on the Camp Jayhawk Revitalization Committee. Chaz also organized the highly successful Washburn Tech Merit Badge Day for four years, helping hundreds of Scouts explore careers, build skills, and connect with community mentors.
Whether in his role as an educator, Marine, community volunteer, or Scout leader, Chaz Havens believes in the power of mentorship, hard work, humor, and helping young people grow into confident and capable adults. He is grateful for the impact Scouting has had on his life and is committed to ensuring that same opportunity for future generations.
Matt Woodward –
Matt Woodward has made numerous contributions to the Jayhawk Area Council advancing the mission of Scouting and developing tomorrow’s future leaders. On the local level, he has served as a Merit Badge Counselor, Assistant Scoutmaster, and Scoutmaster. In each of these roles, he has served with distinction.
On the district level, Matt has served as the Sunflower District Chair since 2023 and currently serves as the Outdoor Programs Committee Chair for the Jayhawk Area Council. In these roles, he has worked tirelessly to deliver the promise of Scouting to youth across the 11 counties throughout Northeast Kansas.
Throughout his scouting journey, Matt has believed that every youth deserves a Trained Leader. He became an Order of the Arrow member in 2018, Completed Wood Badge in 2019, earned the Order of the Arrow Vigil Honor in 2023 and received the District Award of Merit in 2025.
Matt Woodward is our second recipient of the 2025 Silver Beaver Award. Join us on February 7th, 2026, to celebrate these Honoree’s and the 2025 Eagle Scout Class!
