When it became apparent that the Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation was going to become reality, the decision to feature a Wall of Honour quickly followed. It then was decided that eligibility for inclusion wouldn’t be based entirely on scouting successes, because that is something that often is a byproduct of surviving in a tough business for a long period of time. It also is an industry in which there are successes and failures, likely in equal amounts; in fact, a bar graph showing scouting successes likely would resemble a roller-coaster.

A nine-man committee headed by the late Glen Dirk was struck and came up with a criterion based on a combination of at least 20 years of service as a scout or in association with the scouting process, along with dedication within the industry.

Dirk’s committee featured veteran scouts Scott Bradley, Ron Delorme, Erin Ginnell, Ross Mahoney, Garth Malarchuk and Mike Penny, along with longtime hockey observers Gregg Drinnan and Shane Malloy. It decided that the inaugural class of inductees would be large, simply because it was the first. The final number could have been 70 or 80 or more, but it was decided to cap it at 45. In the end, the Class of 2024 features five pioneering scouts, 17 from the modern era, 20 present-day scouts and two from the major-junior ranks. Unfortunately, Dirk, who is a member of the Class of 2024, died of cancer on April 17.

Perhaps long-time scout Archie Henderson, who also is among the original inductees, summed it up best: “If we weren't doing something to recognize and honour these individuals for their time and efforts in the scouting industry they might be forgotten.” The Foundation will make sure that doesn’t happen.