Johnson

Published by The National Herald, December 26, 2004

Rev. Michael Johnson Receives Prophet Elias Medal for Scouting

SEATTLE – During his more than 30 years as an Orthodox priest, Rev. Michael Johnson has encouraged and mentored nearly two dozen young people to earn religious awards through the program offered by the Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting (EOCS), an agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in America.

He has consistently ensured that award recipients receive appropriate recognition for their efforts through presentation ceremonies in front of the entire parish congregation, often with the local bishop presiding.

In a surprise turnaround recently, two of Father Michael’s former Scouts, with the blessing of Metropolitan Anthony of San Francisco, presented him with the highest award that can be bestowed on an adult Orthodox Scout leader – the Prophet Elias Medal.

Nick Tarlson, EOCS Regional Coordinator for Northern California, and Bill Trapalis, both members of the original Seattle Orthodox Scout Troop 67, founded by Father Michael in 1966 before he became a priest, made the presentation following the Divine Liturgy at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption in Seattle. They were assisted by Peter Evans, one of Troop 67’s first scoutmasters, and Patrick Hall, the new Scoutmaster of the troop, which is being reestablished to serve scouts from several Orthodox parishes in the Seattle area.

The Prophet Elias award is given to adult Scout leaders who have devoted "at least eight years of exemplary service to the spiritual, physical and moral development of Orthodox youth through service to the Church and the Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Campfire Girls."

The organization further notes that Prophet Elias is traditionally considered the greatest of the Hebrew Prophets: "It is in the image of the Prophet Elias that recipients of this award pass on their religious heritage and teachings to younger Eastern Orthodox members of these national youth agencies."

Father Johnson, a native of Seattle, was active in the Boy Scouts as a youth, attaining to Eagle Scout, the highest rank. He continued his interest as an adult, serving as Director of the Scout Service Corps during the 1962 Seattle Worlds Fair. Four years later, he founded the first Orthodox Scout Troop in the area at Saint Spyridon Russian Orthodox Cathedral (jurisdiction, Orthodox Church of America), which included boys from the Assumption Church. He has also served as a commissioner on the Chief Seattle Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

Ordained at Saint Spyridon Cathedral as a deacon in 1969, and a priest in 1973, Father Michael served at the Cathedral, and at the oldest Orthodox parish in the Northwest, Holy Trinity Church in the small mining town of Wilkeson, Washington.

He was the assistant priest at Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Seattle, while continuing a secular career as a marketing and public relations executive with the local and regional telephone company. Following his retirement from that position, Father Michael became Executive Director of the All Saints Camp and Retreat Center, owned jointly by St. Demetrios and Assumption, and also served as assistant priest at Assumption.

In the early 1990’s at Assumption, he reactivated Scout Troop 67, again on a Pan-Orthodox basis, and started another troop when he became pastor of Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Tacoma, Washington.

Father Michael was appointed as the first fulltime priest at Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Mission Church in Kenmore, Washington in 1999, and although no formal troop existed there, he worked with several young people, including (for the first time) a girl scout, to earn the Alpha-Omega Saint George and CR religious awards from EOCS.

Metropolitan Anthony officiated at the presentation of these medals on two occasions.

Now retired from active parish pastor responsibilities, Father Michael continues with his lifelong involvement in Scouting. He has rejuvenated Troop 67 as a Pan-Orthodox troop, based at Saint Spyridon, but including youths from the Seattle-area Greek Orthodox, OCA and Romanian parishes.

Father Michael is a great lover of the outdoors and, throughout his ministry, has led groups of young people and adults, on hiking, camping and other wilderness adventures in the Pacific Northwest.

A prolific writer, Fr. Michael is the author of a book on the history of Camp Parsons, the oldest Scout camp west of the Mississippi River (started in 1919), and Scout historical articles for magazines. In addition to the Prophet Elias Medal, he was recently recognized by the Chief Seattle Council with the Silver Beaver, the highest award given to Scout leaders by local councils.

Scouting has a definite place in the Orthodox Christian tradition and practice: Saint John Chrysostom set forth the importance of working with the youth in the Fifth Century when he wrote, "With us, everything is secondary compared to our concern with young people and their upbringing in the instruction and teaching of the Lord. After all, what greater work is there than training the mind and forming the habits of the young?"

For more than 40 years, Father Johnson has clearly followed the path outlined by this great Father and Hierarch of the Church, and is thus richly deserving of Orthodox Scouting’s highest adult award: the Prophet Elias Medal. AXIOS," Mr. Tarlson said.



Volume 6 Number 52 - Tuesday, December 28th, 2004	A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY