Don’t ask Kelly Martin about his favorite memory as a Boy Scout leader.
‘There have been so many,? he said, finding it difficult to pick out just one from his 36 years experience as a leader.
The 62-year-old Independence Township resident also has experience as a Cub Scout, Boy Scout and Explorer. He also worked as a camp ranger while still in college. When his oldest son joined Cub Scouts, he decided to help out as a pack committee member.
A school teacher, he found he had time to help with summer activities. At least his wife thought he did.
Martin said they were at a pack committee meeting when someone mentioned the need for help with the summer Cub Scout day camp.
‘My wife said, ‘My husband has summers off.? I’ve been going to summer camp ever since,? he said.
Martin became scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 49 about 14 years ago. The troop, chartered by Clarkston United Methodist Church, has about 15 boys between the ages of 11 and 17.
‘It’s small, but you can do a lot with that number,? he said.
And he has done a lot. Over the years, the troop has produced 23 Eagle Scouts, an honor earned by only 4 percent of Scouts. Martin has earned adult honors such as the Scouter Training Award and the District Award of Merit.
As a holder of Scouting’s Wood Badge, he is regularly called on to conduct training in camping skills for the Clinton Valley Council, which runs Scouting programs in Oakland and Macomb counties. Since he retired from a 33-year career in teaching six years ago, he has spent several weeks each summer as a volunteer staff member at Lost Lake Scout Reservation near Clare.
‘I’m a body available,? he said. ‘The camp director usually finds something for me to do.?
He likes to talk about the boys? accomplishments, however, and that is one of the things providing good memories.
‘The thrill you have when they accomplish something they were a little timid to try? is a big thing, he said, and Scouting leadership includes the principle of guiding and mentoring more than directing. ‘We let them try. If they fail, they learn.?
It may be simplistic, and he chuckled when he said it, but he summed up the basic role of a Scout leader: ‘We’re there to see they don’t get hurt.?
Martin also likes the core values of Scouting, summed up in the promotional phrase, ‘Character Counts.? The values of the Scout Oath and Law provide ‘rules you can live by,? he said.
‘It allows the boys to develop physically, mentally and morally. It enables them to find their way so they can make ethical and moral decisions.?
While the values have not changed, some of the programs, awards and uniforms have changed over the years, and modern health codes have even dictated changes in physical arrangements at Scout camps.
‘It’s good. To be viable, you have to change with the times,? he said. ‘It would be nice to have the slow, quiet paced life we used to have when I moved out here [in 1967], when we could walk to Gulick Lake and go fishing, but things change. We need to adapt.?
With his two sons both grown, Martin and his wife, Patricia, like to spend time in travel when they can. They also enjoy participating in craft shows, although he said his wife does the creative work in knitting, crocheting and sewing items for sale.
‘I’m more or less the gopher,? he said, although he has done woodworking in the past.
The couple stays active in charity work outside of Scouting. Martin plays ‘Santa’s helper? each Christmas season at various places such as Holly’s Dickens Festival, as well as schools and (sometimes) stores. The couple has been a mainstay at the clothes closet sponsored by the First Congregational Church, and they enjoy looking for great deals (especially after-holiday sales) to make the most of the donation dollar.
They also are members of Clarkston United Methodist Church, and believe their simply doing what everyone should be doing.
‘We feel we’ve been blessed with two healthy children. We feel we need to give back something to the community,? he said. ‘You have rights as a citizen, but with rights come responsibilities, and that’s more than just voting.?
Even with such bold statements, Martin appears to be more concerned with doing than talking.
‘We’re quiet in the background,? he said. ‘We don’t do this to say, ‘look at me.??
On the other hand, he believes in another principle: ‘You can find time to do things you want to do.?
Martin shows no sign of slowing down, but he has concerns such as a desire to see more Cub Scouts advance into Boy Scouts. ‘This is where the fun really begins.?
There’s also a sense of ‘fun? in thinking about the number of lives he’s impacted, both as a teacher and a Scout leader, although he can’t even estimate how many that may be, especially given the number who now have their own children and are passing down the same values.
‘I couldn’t even put a number on that,? he said. ‘I’ve enjoyed it all. I guess it keeps me young.?