By Billie Monroe

Scouting's highest Council Honor was bestowed on Atlanta area scouters at the eighth annual potluck dinner of the Atlanta Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, at the Atlanta Civic Center on Saturday evening, Feb. 1.

Among those so honored was Arthur J. Arseneault, Jr., of St. Thomas the Apostle parish, who in October 1974 completed 37 years as a registered veteran scouter and has to his credit a long and distinguished Navy career.

Upon graduation from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in September 1944, he was commissioned an ensign, U.S. Navy. During his 21 years of active service in the Navy (1944-1965), from which he retired as a lieutenant commander, he served as a battleship gunnery officer, destroyer navigator and operations' officer, hydrographic officer of an oceanographic research ship, first division officer of an amphibious transport, combat information center officer and repair officer of a large troop transport.

He also served on the staff of the Amphibious Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet as the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Officer, Commanding Officer of Underwater Demolition Team Four, on the staff of Commander Mine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, again as EOD Officer, and was concurrently commanding officer of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unite Two. He was also the Research, Test and Development Officer of the U.S. Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal Facility, and Operations and Plans Officer of the Second Air and Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, a unite of the Fleet Marine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet assigned to support U.S. Army forces, namely the 82^nd and 101^st Army Airborne Divisions.

Arseneault holds special qualifications as a Second Class Deep Sea Diver, SCUBA Diver, UDT Officer, EOD Officer and Naval Parachutist (31 jumps).

At the same time he was serving in the Navy in 1957-1959 at Charleston, SC, he was advisor of an Explorer Post (Cathedral Post 10), then Troop Committee Chairman of Troop 36, also a Catholic troop. In 1960-1962 he was a committeeman of both Pack and Troop 381 sponsored by St. Pius X Church in Norfolk, VA. In 1963 he was a committeeman of Pack 253 (St. Mary's Church, Indianhead, Maryland). In 1964-65 he served on the Onslow District Committee at Jacksonville, NC, first as the Organization and Extension Committee Chairman, and then as the Assistant District Commissioner at Camp LeJeune.

When he retired from the Navy in 1965, he was employed by the Atlanta Area Council, serving as the Assistant District Scout Executive of Cobb District. He then served as a Manpower Specialist for the Georgia Department of Public Health (1966-1967), as a research associate for the Georgia Science and Technology Commission (1967-1972), as a police specialist for the Georgia State Crime Commission (1973). He is now the Criminal Justice Planner for the Cobb County Police Department.

Since he left the professional service of the boy Scouts of America in 1966, he has remained active as a Volunteer Scouter in Cobb County. He has been the cubmaster of Pack 732, scoutmaster of Troop 732, and is presently the Institutional Representative for these units, sponsored by St. Thomas the Apostle Church.

He also served as an assistant district commissioner, chairman of the District Training Committee, chairman of the District Explorer Committee and as a district member-at-large of the Cobb District Committee, serving the District Eagle Board of Review.

Arseneault was inducted as an Ordeal Member of the Order of the Arrow, an honor camping fraternity, at Camp Roosevelt, National Capitol Area Council in October 1963. He advanced to Brotherhood Member at Camp Bert Adams in May 1966 and to the Vigil Honor in October 1968.

In 1964, he received the Onslow District Award (Jacksonville, NC) for Outstanding Service to Boys. He was presented with the Civitan Outstanding Citizen Award in April 1970 by the Smyrna Civitan Club for his scouting activities in the community.

He was honored by the Cobb Circuit Bar Association in May 1970 with their Annual Liberty Bell Award for organizing a Legal Explorer Post in Marietta in 1969.

Archbishop Donnellan presented him with the St. George Emblem for outstanding service to Catholic scouting at the Annual Catholic Awards Banquet in 1974.

He is the eldest son of the late Lieutenant Arseneault, MSC, USN (retired) and Mrs. Arthur J. Arseneault, St. of Sanford Maine, and married to the former Willidean Blazier of Knoxville, TN, an R.N. and former Navy flight nurse. They have seven children.