Joseph E. Stevenot

Joseph Stevenot

Joseph Stevenot (on right) with Lt. Miguel Aguinaldo in 1917

Joseph Emile Hamilton Stevenot (1888 - June 8, 1943) was an American businessman who served as a Major in the US Army. He helped organize the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company and served as its Executive Vice President and General Manager.[1] He was one of the charter members of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) and served as the BSP's first National President (January 1, 1938 – 1942).[2]

Scouting involvement

His involvement with Scouting in the Philippines started with the Philippine Council, BSA as the chairman of its finance committee. The council was financially unstable and he was invited by General Vicente Lim, another Philippine Scouting pioneer. The council improved considerably under his guidance and in 1934 he was elected to be the last president of the Philippine Council, BSA.[1]

With the imminent granting of independence to the Philippines by the United States in 1946, Stevenot worked for the separation of the Scouting movement in the Philippines from that of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). With the assistance of other civic organizations and other leaders, he co-founded the Boy Scouts of the Philippines on October 31, 1936 and became its first national president.[2]

In 1939, he supported the organization of a national Guiding movement by sending Josefa Llanes Escoda to be trained in Girl Guiding in the United States and Britain. Upon Escoda's return to the Philippines, he assisted her in the organization of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines.[3] In 1941, the BSA recognized his service to youth with the Silver Buffalo Award.

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Boy Scouts of the Philippines (2001). On My Honor. Manila: Boy Scouts of the Philippines. OCLC 843437665.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Boy Scouts of the Philippines (1996). Diamond Jubilee Yearbook. Manila: Boy Scouts of the Philippines. ISBN 971-91769-0-3.
  3. ↑ Girl Scouts of the Philippines (1993). Senior Girl Scout Handbook. Manila: Girl Scouts of the Philippines.