Don Bohnwagner, Sr.
Don was never a Scout as a boy; he became involved in 1970 after his older son, Don Jr., entered his second year of Cub Scouts. He served Cub Pack 409 until 1975 as Committee Chair and Webelos Leader. In November of 1972, Don was one of the Founders of Troop 409 where he served as Committee Chair until April of 1975. At that time, he became Scoutmaster and has served the Troop in that position ever since. He and his wife, Pat, and their five sons and two daughters moved to Atkinson in July of 1974 where their son, Richard, joined Cub Pack 95 and Don served the Pack until 1983 until their youngest son, Robert, crossed over into Troop 409.
Don also served three years as a Committee Member of Girl Scout Cadet Troop 492 in Atkinson while his daughters were in Girl Scouts. In addition to serving Packs 95 and 409 and Troop 409, he has serving Lone Tree District of the Yankee Clipper Council as a Member of the District Training Team, as Lone Tree District Commissioner for eight years, as Unit Commissioner, and is currently the Boy Scout Roundtable Commissioner. He is also a Member of the Yankee Clipper Council Committee.
In addition to completing all level of training, Don earned his Woodbadge Beads in 1982 and has served on two subsequent Multi-Council Woodbadge Courses. He has been awarded the Cub and Boy Scout Training Awards, and the Scoutmaster and Commissioner Keys, and the Commissioner Arrowhead Award. In 1980, he received the Scoutmaster of Award of Merit; 1984, the Lone Tree District Award of Merit; 1988, the Distinguished Commissioner Award; 1989 the Silver Beaver Award.
In addition to Scouting, Don was a Third Degree Member of the Bishop Peterson Council of the Knights of Columbus, NH State Chairman of the Colombian Squires, Treasurer of the Enrico Fermi Lodge of the Sons of Italy, and Treasurer for the Atkinson Lions Club.
Don retired in 1996 from Lucent Technologies after working thirty-six years as a Member of the Systems Support Organization and Information Center. He served as President of the Computer Associates’ Boston RAMIS Users Group (RUG-B).
Besides Scouting, Don’s hobby is Vexillology (the study of Flags and Heraldry). His Flag Collection contains almost three hundred Flags. He is recognized as a local authority of Flags and Flag Etiquette and has spoken before local organizations and clubs.