Jake and Peg Leinenkugel were awarded the 'Good Scout Award' on October 19, 2021 at the 18th annual Leadership Dinner in Eau Claire. 

Earning merit badges is a simple concept. You first determine what you’d like to know, then what you need to know, and finally how to accomplish it. Once you’ve gone through the steps, you’ve earned the badge. Then there’s a new merit badge to earn.

Jake and Peg Leinenkugel have been working to earn badges their entire life. They both were Scouts. They both graduated from Chippewa Falls High School. They both graduated from college: Peg from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Jake from Pepperdine University.

Jake served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1976 to 1982 and then remained active reserve from 1982 to 1987. Peg served as a school teacher, gymnastics coach, choreographer for a private gymnastics team, and then as a Jazzercise instructor, Area Director, and Regional Administrator.

Upon leaving the Marine Corps, Jake served in various roles in his family’s business, the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, to include serving as president from 1988 to his retirement in 2014. Peg worked as a consultant for the brewery, creating and managing their first mail-order business and “The Legend” newsletter to Leinie Lodge members. She continued to do projects for the brewery until 2014.

Parents of four - Matt, Kirk, C.J. and Ellie - and grandparents of six girls - their Leinie Six-Pack, Jake and Peg have been married for forty-six years. The Chippewa Valley has been their home for those years and they’ve given their time and resources to causes that deeply affect people’s lives.

Jake has served as a director for both St. Joseph’s and Sacred Heart Hospital Systems. He also served on Marshfield Clinic’s National Advisory Board and Board of Directors. He was one of the three founders of Chippewa Falls United Way Endowment and was instrumental in creating the Little Lake Wissota Project. Currently, he serves on the Casper-Rutledge Charities board.

Teaching 2nd grade religious education, Junior Achievement, or CPR classes were just a few of Peg’s past volunteer duties. She has been an inaugural board member of the Northern Wisconsin State Fair, Marching Forward for Dorais Field Campaign Co-Chair, 2012 Chippewa Valley United Way Campaign Chair, Irvine Park Capital Campaign committee member, Ice Dreams Campaign committee member, and Hospitality Co-Chair for the 2004 Farm Technology Days. She has served on the boards and numerous committees of the Family Support Center, Community Foundation of Chippewa County, and Partners of St. Joseph’s Hospital. Peg and Jake are also big supporters of Erickson Park and the Boys and Girls Club of the Greater Chippewa Valley.

Jake and Peg have been longtime supporters of the Boy Scouts of America. Jake fondly remembers his time at Camp Phillips and served on camp staff in 1969. Jake and Peg also helped to establish the annual Autumn Beer Dinner fundraiser for the Chippewa Valley Council, now in its sixth year. Their goal in life is to keep earning badges!

Previous honorees of the 'Good Scout Award' at the Leaders of Character Dinner:

Owen Ayres, 2004
B.J. Farmer, 2005
Walter Gold, 2006
Dick Cable, 2007
Mark Phillips, 2008
David Hancock, 2009
Dick Larson, 2010
R.W. Scobie, 2011
Marv Market, 2012
Skip Van Gorden, 2013
Jerry Jacobson, 2014
Tim Olson, 2015
Ken Vance, 2016
Rob Giles, 2017
Tom E. Monson, 2018
Thomas Barland, 2019
Bob McCoy, 2020

The dinner featured guest speaker Mark Johnson. Johnson is currently head coach of the University of Wisconsin Women’s Hockey Team. Mark Johnson was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team’s gold-medal-winning effort, had a successful 11-year NHL career, and is the winningest coach in Wisconsin Badgers history.