The 2017 William H. Spurgeon III Award is being presented posthumously to the late Rex Milner recognizing his 28 years of service leading the Medical Explorer Post at St. Francis Hospital. The ceremony is being held on Tuesday, February 7, at 7 p.m. in the hospital’s Butler Pavilion, 2122 Manchester Expressway in Columbus. Members of the public, especially current and former Medical Explorer Post participants, are invited to attend.

The William H. Spurgeon III Award is the highest National Exploring recognition for individuals and organizations contributing significant leadership to the Exploring program. It is the first time the award is being presented within the Boy Scouts of America Chattahoochee Council which includes 15 counties in Georgia and Alabama, according to Philip Wright, Assistant Scout Executive.

Milner first came to St. Francis as a 17 year-old, starting out as a ward clerk and nursing assistant / orderly in 1975. After completing nursing school at Columbus College, he ventured out but came back to SFH in 1981, serving as a Nursing Supervisor until his untimely death in October of 2015 after a brief battle with cancer.

He started the Medical Explorer Post at SFH in 1986, introducing hundreds of young men and women to healthcare careers. Milner was involved with the program for 28 years. The Post continues meeting to this day under the leadership of Keith Higgins, a nursing supervisor who worked with Milner. There are approximately 80 young people currently involved.

Milner worked as a RN in the emergency department, ICU and outpatient department. In 1984 he was promoted to nursing supervisor, and he worked both second and third shifts until 1997 when he accepted the position as Director of the Emergency Department. He remained director until 1999 when he returned to his passion, house supervision, the position he enjoyed until his passing.

“Those of us who worked with Rex knew first-hand of his commitment to teaching and helping others,” said Higgins, RN. “He had a great impact on our staff here in addition to impacting young people looking for their place in health care.”

The William H. Spurgeon III Award was developed in 1971 in honor of the man who is regarded as the major leader in the development of special-interest Exploring. Spurgeon, a business executive at the Irvine Company in Southern California, personally organized many special-interest posts in the 1960s. He served for many years as a member of the National Council Executive Board and National Exploring Committee. His pioneering efforts led to the present Exploring program. He devoted much of the late 1960s to promoting Exploring and is particularly remembered as a dynamic speaker for Exploring Impact Plan luncheons across America. Spurgeon passed away in 1970.

In addition to Scouting executives, also expected to attend the ceremony are Milner’s widow Susanne; their daughter, Savannah; and his mother, Alice Milner, who retired after working for many years at SFH.