Local
Three honored with St. James Society Cushing Award
By Mark Labbe
Posted: 10/16/2015
From left to right, Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley presents the St. James Society's Cardinal Cushing to Father Vincent Daily, Robert Scannell Jr. and the family of Dr. Courtland L. Harlow Jr. Pilot photo/courtesy Bill Brett
Three people were honored on Oct. 4 at the St. James Society's Cardinal Cushing Award Celebration for Excellence in Service to Humanity. The event, which is held annually Boston College High School, is a way to recognize "notable individuals for their humanitarian and philanthropic efforts," the society's website says. The Cushing Medals were presented by Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley to Father Vincent E. Daily, Robert A. Scannell Jr., and posthumously to Dr. Courtland L. Harlow Jr.
Cushing Award recipient Father Vincent E. Daily served with the St. James Society for 16 years primarily in Bolivia, where he helped build 17 schools, as well as served 30 rural farming communities that were mostly made up of indigenousness people living in the country's mountains. Father Daily also spent five years helping to recruit new members to the society, traveling to countries like Scotland, Australia, and Canada to encourage priests to serve in the missions.
Father Daily has been ordained for 58 years and continues to serve the Archdiocese of Boston.
Robert Scannell serves as the executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester. During his 28 years with the organization, Scannell helped expand the club to three locations and over 4,000 members. To do this, he created new programs such as music lessons, tutoring, film production, camping, and many more.
He also oversaw the founding of Boston Inclusion Network for Disabilities (B.I.N.D.), a program that helps encourage the education of special needs children. The program took off, and in 2014 it received a national merit award for program excellence by Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
The award for Dr. Harlow, who lost his life in a 2011 car accident, was accepted by his wife, Dorothy Patricia Harlow, and his two sons, Daniel Harlow and Courtland Harlow III.
Dr. Harlow had been a plastic surgeon, and established two practices in Massachusetts after earning his pre-med degree at Harvard University and his medical degree at Dartmouth Medical College. However, he decided to give up his practice to travel to impoverished regions of the world, including the Caribbean, Latin America and Asia to help treat those with facial deformities. In those areas, he also taught local doctors different surgical procedures, so that they could continue helping people after he left, and even purchased them medical books and supplies.
