Jim Thomas, left, and Thomas Labayewski, right, present Virginia and Dan Rowzie with the Distinguished Citizen award at the Bavarian Inn on April 22. Photo by Toni Milbourne

SHEPHERDSTOWN — Nearly every seat was filled at the Jefferson County Distinguished Citizen dinner honoring Dan and Ginny Rowzie on April 22.

The couple was selected as Jefferson County’s recipients of the Shenandoah Area Scout’s Distinguished Citizen award. In addition to the award presented to the Rowzies, the dinner served as a fundraising event for the council and a time to hear of the impact of Scouting on different individuals.

Charles Town resident Matt Ward shared his remarks on the impact of Scouting on the community, informing attendees that 2,000 youth are served through Scouting in Jefferson County, along with 140 adult volunteers. Ward said that 350 merit badges were awarded in the past year, offering insight into possible careers and hobbies.

“Scouts are really making a difference here in Jefferson County,” Ward said, as he shared that Scouts contributed over 1,500 hours of community service in 2024.

Following Ward, Eagle Scout Conner Kneeland spoke briefly on the impact Scouting had on his life specifically. Kneeland said that he has belonged to two different troops since he began his time in Scouts but really began to be involved with Troop 42.

“I did not really enjoy Scouting at first, but now that I’m thinking about it, I actually enjoyed it a lot,” he said, explaining that through Scouting, he learned many life skills that he is putting to use now as an adult.

Kneeland earned his Eagle Scout on July 13, 2003, a date he remembers well.

“This program is probably the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” Kneeland said.

The remainder of the evening was dedicated to the recognition of Dan and Virginia Rowzie as the Citizens of the Year recipients. The couple’s three daughters — Camden Frost, Jennifer Holle and Kelly Farquharson — took turns at the podium describing the couple.

Frost, the oldest, began the remarks by explaining that she currently resides in Austin, Texas, where she retired from public service with work that focused on healthy aging. She spoke of five connectors that support healthy aging, saying that her father and stepmother embody those connectors. They include, she said, lifelong learning, civic involvement, spirituality, exploration of recreation and hobbies and volunteerism.

“The list is long and it spans for decades,” Frost said, as she shared only a fraction of the areas in which Dan and Ginny Rowzie have volunteered and been involved in their community.

The Rowzies moved to Charles Town in 1994, choosing the town and county as their place to spend their retirement years. Married in 1989, the couple’s children were already grown, so they could commit their time to community involvement and volunteerism.

Ginny belongs to two federated garden clubs, is heading up the 67th Shenandoah-Potomac House and Garden Tour and hosts an International Cooking and Book Club in the summer. Dan has been involved in Good Shepherd Interfaith Caregivers, Friends of Happy Retreat, the Charles Town Rotary and multiple car clubs, just to name a few.

“Ginny sees serving the community as a privilege to nurture the environment and those who live in it,” Frost said, as she then added that the top quality she sees in her father, Dan, is that of discovery. “Discovery is at the heart of Scouting and this spirit of adventure is something Dan is always on board for. The essence of my dad is really his curious interest in anything.”

Frost was followed by Holle, who focused on the Rowzies giving to others.

“The core of being human is making it through this life with the help of others,” she said. “Both my father, Dan, and his lovely wife, my stepmom Ginny, truly embody the expression of community spirit in Charles Town and throughout Jefferson County.”

Holle also spoke to the importance of books and literacy to the couple, saying that she takes pride in the fact that they both give back through literacy.

In quoting Mohammed Ali, Holle said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give,” adding, “It is my privilege to honor these two exceptional givers.”

Not to be outdone by her sisters, Farquharson began her comments by saying how appalled she was that the couple chose to spend their retirement in Charles Town rather than moving closer to her in Maryland. She said that she and her family were quick to travel to the area to determine why Dan and Ginny had chosen this place as their home.

“We were quick to find out why,” she said. “This area spoke to their hearts.”

Farquharson then concluded her speech, laughingly, with a quote by Winston Churchill, later repeated by Mohammad Ali: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give,” adding that she and Holle had no communication on using the same quotation.

Ginny and Dan took some brief moments to express their appreciation for the award bestowed upon them. They spoke of people they have met and the influences those friends have had on their lives since settling in Jefferson County.

Ginny shared numerous events she and Dan were convinced to join in on and help, including many in the Middleway community. Dan specifically spoke of his volunteer time with Good Shepherd Caregivers, where he took folks to appointments.

Dan ended the evening by turning back the clock to 1949 when, he said, he joined Boy Scout Troop 139 at the Del Ray Methodist Church.

“I loved Scouting. I took to it like a duck to water. It was a very important part of my life,” he said, sharing those comments especially with scouts in attendance at the event.