Dave and Sonja Wilson were honored with the Good Scout Award at the Leaders of Character Banquet. The banquet featured guest speaker Jesse Henning of the Eau Claire Police Department and was held at Turtleback Golf Course in Rice Lake on October 17th. 

About the Honorees:

Dave & Sonja Wilson grew up in North St. Paul and attended Concordia College together in Moorhead, Minnesota. As youth, Dave was a Cub Scout and Sonja was a Girl Scout. They relocated to Rice Lake in 1979 and have spent countless hours serving the local community. 

Dave was a dentist in Rice Lake for 40 years and is now enjoying retirement. He is a 43-year member of the Rice Lake Rotary Club and served as President. Dave has been a member of Bethany Lutheran Church for 44 years and served 6 years on the Church Council, with one year as President. He has also served on the Kinship board since the organization’s inception 33 years ago, and has spent time as Board President and a mentor. Dave has also used his dental skills on mission trips to the Dominican Republic and Belize.

Sonja was the Music Director at Bethany Lutheran Church for 27 years, Bell Director for over 35 years, and taught piano lessons. She has been a dedicated Meals on Wheels volunteer for 40 years, helping to facilitate the delivery of approximately 1000 meals per month. Sonja served on the founding board of the Benjamin House Emergency Shelter from 2011 through 2018. She continues to serve on the Fundraising Committee and heads the “End of the Year Appeal”. She also recruits 25 volunteers each year for the Backpack Program Fundraiser. Sonja has continued her service beyond Barron County as she went on mission trips to an orphanage in India, to Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina, and to Jamaica three times with Bethany Lutheran’s Mission Jamaica Group.

About the Guest Speaker :

Jesse Henning grew up in Barron, Wisconsin and was  active in Scouting throughout his childhood. In 2005, he attained the rank of Eagle Scout while a member of Troop 6 in Barron. Jesse notes successes throughout his career have been impacted by the values and building blocks  instilled in him through Scouting.

Jesse began his career in law enforcement in 2008 and is a 15-year veteran of the Eau Claire Police Department. He has served as a Patrol Officer, Detective, School Resource Officer, Sergeant, and is now the North District Commander and Lieutenant in the Patrol Division. Jesse has received numerous awards throughout his career to include three Chief’s Gold Coins, numerous letters of commendation and recognition, and most notably the 2019 WPPA State Award for Valor stemming from his actions during an armed confrontation in an Officer Involved Shooting in 2017. 

Previous honorees of the Good Scout Award include:

• Bill Appleyard
• Paul Chase 
• Edward Doyle 
• Virgil Edson 
• Arnold Ellison
• Foster Friess
• Tom Koser
• Louis Muench
• Chris Fitzgerald
• Terry Gerber
• Burnell “Bun” Hanson
• Bob Marsh
• John Muench
• Dan Thole
• Dr. Rod Olson
• Duke Thurs