Boy Scouts of America: Distinguished Citizen Award

Frank VanderSloot Earns Prestigious Boy Scouts Award

On December 12, 2017, the Grand Teton Council of the Boy Scouts of America presented the Distinguished Citizen Award to Melaleuca CEO Frank VanderSloot. The award was given during a ceremony at the company’s annual Christmas party in Rexburg, Idaho, where thousands of Melaleuca employees were in attendance.
Frank VanderSloot receives the Distinguished Citizen Award from the BSA

One of the Scouting organization’s highest honors, the Distinguished Citizen Award had never before been presented to anyone in eastern Idaho.

“Frank VanderSloot exemplifies the 12 points of the Scout law,” Grand Teton Council CEO Clarke Farrer said. “He is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. In our experience with Frank, he exemplifies all of those virtues, values and principles that Boy Scouts live by.”

During his presentation, Farrer shared with the audience some of the acts of service VanderSloot has performed for the Scouting organization. For the past 28 years, VanderSloot has sponsored the Scouting for Food drive, which has brought in more than 2,500 tons of food for tens of thousands of families. In addition, through the Melaleuca Foundation, he donated $3.5 million to pay for a new headquarters for the Grand Teton Council.

However, Farrar pointed out, VanderSloot has an easy choice for the award for going beyond helping just the Boy Scouts. He was selected for putting on the Melaleuca Freedom Celebration every Fourth of July, providing college scholarships for disadvantaged high school students, supporting the 4-H program, helping pay for a new baseball stadium in Idaho Falls, supporting pregnant teens through the Shepherd’s Inn, and much more, Farrar said.

“Most of what he does is either anonymous or done very quietly so people, in general, don’t know about it,” Farrer said.

More details about the award presentation are available at East Idaho News.com.