Golden Eagle District Awards

Junell S. Nichols was born October 25, 1948, to J.E. (Bob) and Margaret Hagedorn Roberts. The family moved several times before settling in Longview in 1964. Junell graduated from Pine Tree High School, East Texas School of Nursing, and Texas Christian University. Her passion for helping took firm root in nursing school and never wavered as her life was filled with examples of love and service.

As a registered nurse for over 50 years, Junell worked at Good Shepherd Medical Center, Longview Regional Medical Center, Beacon Hospice, and Brannon’s Friends. She was truly dedicated to loving and taking care of patients, friends, and family. Her dedication to nursing led to instructing nurses, paramedics, firefighters, ACLS, and PALS for area agencies. In addition, she spread happiness through her job as a “Laughter Leader” with Longview Regional Medical Center where her goal was to bring laughter to nursing homes and conferences around East Texas as she dawned oversized glasses and big red nose. Junell was also a member of the Jefferson Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star.

Scouting was a lifelong passion for Junell. She grew up watching her brother, Alan Roberts, work towards becoming an Eagle Scout in Troop 618 and later serve as its Scoutmaster for 12 years. She enjoyed getting her son involved in scouting because it was so important to her family. The scouting program even introduced her to her husband Jerry. She served as the medical officer for numerous scouting events and was lovingly dubbed “the Wizard of Gauze.” Junell was the recipient of numerous council awards and accolades including the Silver Beaver and proudly supported many members of her family as they earned the rank of Eagle Scout, but no honor could be higher than being the founder of Mom and Me Camp for Cub Scouts. It all started in the mid-80s when she showed up with her son for a Cub Scout campout designed for dads and their sons and was turned away. Not one to give up easily, Nichols quickly went to work. She contacted her district executive, who was sympathetic to her plight: Nichols was a divorced mom. She had a proposal: Lad-and-dad weekends were already common. Why not Mom-and-Me, too? She knew that there had to be more moms like her out there whose kids were not getting to experience campouts. The council agreed to try a mom-and-me event as what Nichols calls “an experiment.” After extensive planning, more than 600 participants showed up. That’s when the council realized she was on to something.

The event quickly went from experiment to annual occurrence. Due to its massive success, word spread quickly and the second event was covered in the November-December 1987 issue of Scouting magazine. From there our council received lots of inquiries from people across the United States wanting to know more about the Mom and Me campout. Once a rarity, mom-and-Cub events are now common in councils throughout the country. She always believed that one singular idea could make a difference and indeed it always will.

V.G. was born on May 31, 1929, in Mildred, Texas and died on July 13, 2016 in Lufkin, Texas. He grew up throughout the East Texas region as his father worked in the oilfields. His early schooling was at Gaston Elementary and Junior High School and he graduated from London High School in 1946. He then entered the Corps of Cadets at Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College and graduated in 1950 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering, which is the same year that he married his longtime love, Mavis Amelia Mills.

He began working for Texas Eastman Company in 1950; but was activated in 1951 in the United States Army as a Lieutenant in Field Artillery. His assignments included Fort Sill, OK Fort Polk, LA, and eventually Germany as a Reconnaissance and Survey Officer for the 593rd Field Artillery Battalion (N), an eight-inch howitzer, self-propelled unit. Upon his discharge from the U.S. Army, he returned to working for Texas Eastman Company in 1952. 

V.G. retired after 39 years of service as a Senior Chemical Engineer with Texas Eastman Company in Longview, Texas. He was a Registered Professional Chemical Engineer in the State of Texas and continued his education earning a Master's degree in Chemical Engineering in 1972 from his alma mater, Texas A&M University. He was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, a Life Member of the Texas Eastman Recreation Club, District 10 Governor of the Texas Field Archery  Association, Texas Representative to the Southern Section of the National Field Archery Association, Texas Forestry Association, National Rifle Association, Longview Stamp Club, Scouts on Stamps Society International, Century Club member of the TAMU Association of Former Students, the Membership Chairman of The Deep East Texas A&M Club, Longview Lobo's Band Boosters Club, and worked with the East Texas Area Camp Fire Girls. 

He was Treasurer of the East Texas Treasure Hunters Association, and the Treasurer of the Texas Council of Treasure Clubs. He has located many lost rings, keys and other valuable objects for people in Longview, including the Longview Police Department. V.G. dabbled in wood carving, rock and mineral collecting, model railroading, coin collecting, relic and  artifact collecting, and collecting in general. 

V.G. was a member of the First Baptist Church Longview working as a Group Care Leader in Sunday School, a Past President of the Adult Day BXYZ group, and on the Senior Adult Committee of the church. He also was a Route Carrier for Meals-on-Wheels and a Food Service Committee member.

However, his real passion and the one that had the greatest impact was being a member of the Boy Scouts of America, which he was actively involved in for over 65 years. He became involved not as a Boy Scout, but as a leader while at Texas A&M College, serving as Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 253, Gulf Oil Company, Laird Hill; Scoutmaster Troop 217, Salvation Army, Longview; Cubmaster Pack 221, First Baptist Church; and finally, Scoutmaster of Troop 201, Longview Lions Club. He served as Scoutmaster of Troop 201 in Longview, Texas for over twenty-three years. He had an outstanding program which produced more than fifty Eagle Scouts. V.G. was an excellent role model for all the scouts in his troop, as well as their parents, and lived the Scout Oath and Law. For the period of his service as Scoutmaster the people of Longview looked up to him as representing Scouting and all the good things that can come from it. Scouting was his life credo.

V.G. has served as a Jamboree Leader at National and World Jamborees. He has attended National Jamborees in 1964, 1969, 1973, 1977, 1981, and 1985 and World Jamborees in 1967, 1971, and was to go to the one in Iran in 1979 but it was postponed. He attended training courses at Philmont Training Center for Boy Scout Leaders, Boy Scout Leader Trainers, Boy Scout Roundtables, and attended Key-3 training at Philmont. V.G.'s many scouting awards include Vigil Honor member in Tejas Lodge No. 72, Commission as a Scoutmaster, the Scouter’s Training Award, Scoutmaster’s Key, Unit Organizers Award, District Award of Merit, Silver Beaver, National Eagle Society of America Outstanding Scoutmaster of the East Texas Area Council and Region 9, Commissioner’s Arrowhead Honor, Commissioner’s Key, Distinguished Roundtable Commissioner’s Award, James E. West Fellow, Good Shepherd Emblem of the Association of Baptists for Scouting, many Fifty Miler Awards, Mile Swim Awards, Cold Weather Camping Awards, Historical Treks,  and working his way up the Friends of Scouting Recognitions. V.G. was a shining example of what scouting is all about and the epitome of scouting for his District, Council, and Area.