Local named to National Youth Leadership Society Point Loma resident Michele Miller, 20, received national and local recognition during the Venturing/Sea Scouts annual dinner Nov. 18 at Torrey Pines Christian Church in La Jolla. The local council, on behalf of the National Court of Honor, inducted Miller into the National Youth Leadership Society’s class of 2011. She also received the San Diego-Imperial Council (SDIC) Venturing Leadership Award in recognition of her unit and council work. Additionally, Miller was presented the Silver Award, the highest achievement award in Venturing, which is the co-ed outdoor leadership program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). “The National Youth Leadership Society recognizes the elite of BSA programs who have learned and practiced outstanding leadership skills,” said Sean Roy, San Diego Imperial Council BSA’s director of field services. “The heart and soul of what BSA has done for over 100 years is produce leaders for tomorrow. Only those youth who have successfully completed qualifying leadership development courses and held eligible leadership positions may be nominated for induction to the National Youth Leadership Society. Michele Miller represents one of the strengths of our program, which is shaping leaders who have a strong foundation of values and who know how to serve others.” Miller, a sophomore at the University of San Diego, began her Venturing career five years ago at the age of 14 as a member of Point Loma-based Venturing Crew 500. She is also a member of Sea Scout Ship 1886. She served as secretary, vice president and president of her crew. In 2010, she served as SDIC Venturing Officers Association vice president. She has been a training instructor at University of Scouting and as an “Ethics in Action” facilitator. During the summer of 2010, she served on staff at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico for the National Youth Leadership Experience (NAYLE). She has also earned the Venturing Outdoor Bronze Award and the Gold Award. As part of her Gold Award requirement, she was Conservation Project Leader at Mission Trails Regional Park, where she planned a community service project and recruited 30 volunteers to build fences to protect endangered plants and animals. Recipients of these awards have mastered many skills including wilderness survival, orienteering, backcountry cooking, search and rescue, backpacking, first aid and, above all, leadership through taking leadership courses and holding leadership positions. For more information about the programs, email [email protected]. Artist takes top award at SDWS’s December show Point Loma resident Julie Anderson took the Best of Show Award at the December juried exhibition “All Over It,” hosted by the San Diego Watercolor Society. Julie’s painting, entitled “Gentle Persuasion,” depicts a mother gently urging her child to climb up a small hill. It is done using opaque watercolors. There is an underpainting in bright orange and all shapes were then outlined in bright purple. Paint was applied to the shapes in a flat manner and then a pattern of lines, circles and squares was painted over each shape piece to create a flat, patterned, somewhat-abstract design. The first-place award went to Gordon Bashant of Scripps Ranch for “Regata” and La Jolla resident Marion Mettler took second place with “Deconstructed Figure Series #10.” The show will continue at the San Diego Watercolor Society’s gallery, located in Point Loma’s Liberty Station at 2825 Dewey Road. The gallery is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.sdws.org.
