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.