Scouting teaches leadership, respect for oneself and the importance of community service, among other values. Boy Scout leaders and supporters also must possess these same qualities. At last month’s recognition banquet, hosted by the Little Econ District of the Central Florida Council of Boy Scouts of America, community members who have contributed their time and service to Boy Scouts were feted.
Selected as “Committee Chairman of the Year” was Michael Harney, who has held that position in East Orlando’s Troop 219 for the past 15 years. Honored as “Charter Organization of the Year” for its sponsorship of Troop 219 was the East Orange Community Action Center and center manager Marjory Kalim.
“It was quite a surprise. I wasn’t expecting anything,” said Kalim, who attended the ceremony as an unassuming guest. Boy Scout Troop 219, serving east Orange and Seminole counties for more than a quarter century, has held its meetings at the community center at 12050 E. Colonial Drive every Monday night since the troop’s inception.
The EOCAC, which works to develop self-sufficient individuals and families with its array of services, is part of the Community Action Division of Orange County Health & Family Services Department. The sponsoring organization for Troop 219 also is dedicated to sustaining the Boy Scouts. Besides providing space for the troop to come together, the EOCAC provides an outlet for the community service required for Scout merit badges.
Every year the boys help collect and distribute food baskets for needy families at Thanksgiving. Last year, nearly 3,000 scouts from the Little Econ District, including both Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, collected more then 38,000 pounds of food for Second Harvest Food Bank. That translates into the Little Econ’s annual Scouting for Food drive feeding more than 25,000 local people.
The EOCAC, being one welcome recipient of these donations, was able to deliver food baskets to more than 250 families. And that’s not all. Troop 219 also offers assistance to the community center by helping out during health fairs, cooking for seniors during special events, and reading to children enrolled in the on-site Head Start program.
“Their help is really appreciated. I rely on them quite a lot,” Kalim said. In addition, the boys host an annual Halloween haunted house, which has been so successful that it will be expanded this year. “They put on a real first-class act, and all the kids participate,” she said. “A lot of people asked about the haunted house after it was over last year, so I asked if they could have it for two nights instead of just one.”
Larry Middour, the assistant scoutmaster for Troop 219 for more than 20 years, said the haunted house is still another example of the troop’s community service. “The boys don’t make any money off it. We only charge 50 cents,” he said. “It’s for the kids in the neighborhood who can’t afford to go to Universal or some other haunted house for Halloween.” Troop 219 also has chipped in to beautify the EOCAC property, doing painting and repairs when needed.
And they help with the landscaping, including establishing two flower gardens, and another on the way. These two gardens — featuring benches and tables, and a place for EOCAC clients and visitors to sit and relax — are the result of Eagle Scout projects undertaken by troop members. Only 5 percent of Boy Scouts go on to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, a testament to the special nature of this level of scouting and those who earn it.
And the next garden will be special indeed. For his Eagle project, Scout John Alexander is planning to establish a memorial garden for Patricia Middour, who passed away last month after 47 years of marriage to the troop’s assistant scoutmaster. Alexander, who is awaiting approval for his Eagle project from Boy Scouts of America, hopes to begin work on the memorial garden later this month.
His plans for the garden include two trees, a remembrance plaque and a commemorative stone. “I would like to see my wife’s name etched in stone. She loved flowers,” Middour said. For Kalim, who has been at the East Orange Community Action Center since 1997, this latest project is another in a long line of collaborations that benefit the EOCAC, members of Troop 219 and the community.
“We work so well together with the troop leaders. Anything we need, they are there,” she said. “The relationship goes both ways. There are not a lot of activities for boys these days. I like to see boys that age have a sense of community.” ‘Scouting is a way of life’ Troop 219 has been an East Orlando fixture for generations, helping fathers and sons develop a stronger bond through scouting. And Middour has played an essential role in this process for a long time.
This is the Goldenrod-area resident’s golden anniversary in scouting. And looking back over the years, Middour can only joke about why he has stayed involved so long. “They promised me a raise after 50 years,” the volunteer said. But his commitment to the Boy Scouts, and to scouting activities, is a fundamental underpinning to the life he has led.
As a young Scout, Middour loved to camp, fish and hike, and his passions have never flickered, even to this day. Last week he was out with Troop 219 in Downey Lake, where he was teaching boys the canoeing and survival skills they will need when they leave July 5 for summer camp in Alabama. In addition, Middour teaches archery to the boys, as well as to Girl Scout and 4-H leaders. And then there are the cooking lessons.
“We spend a lot of time teaching the boys how to cook,” he said. “And if you look at the staff, you can see they’re pretty good at it.” We’re not talking hamburger and hot dogs, either. The Boy Scouts follow recipes to make lasagna and pizza, and cakes and pies. In fact, every year Troop 219 can be seen performing a cooking demonstration at the Avalon Park Family Fest. For his efforts, he has seen his boys mature, and the troop grow.
Twenty years ago there was a time when just one boy carried the Troop 219 flag. Membership has fluctuated since then, but two years ago the number of Boys Scouts jumped dramatically, from around 10 or 12 to 40. He believes the increase in interest is coming from the parents as much as from the kids.
“Parents are starting to wise up a little bit: ‘Johnny’s starting to get a little fat, so rather than playing computer games all the time, let’s try scouting,’” he said. “In fact, parents are getting more involved too. We have parents still involved in the troop even though their kids have moved on.” And like their parents, Middour has always patiently nurtured and mentored the boys, teaching them the same scouting skill-set that shaped his own life.
“I like kids. When I watch kids tie a knot, and see them smile after having accomplished a difficult task, it makes me feel good.” More than 500 Boy Scouts have called the EOCAC home during the past five decades, including 16 who have gone on to become Eagle Scouts and five now preparing to take flight as Eagles.
Middour has helped each and every one attain this special status, something he was unable to reach himself. “As a Boy Scout I had every intention of becoming an Eagle Scout, but I joined the Navy instead. I was just two merit badges short,” he said.
“But I’ve got 16 Eagles to my credit. I’ve got a little bit of Eagle in me.” Dick LaVanture Sr. was able to achieve his dream of becoming an Eagle Scout. After joining the Boy Scouts in 1944 in his hometown of Middletown, Pa., he would go on to stay connected to scouting — for 64 years, and counting — as an Eagle Scout, assistant scoutmaster, scoutmaster committee chairman, district commissioner and, currently, as charter organization representative for Boy Scout Troop 219.
“Once you’re an Eagle Scout, you’re an Eagle Scout for life,” he said. “To me, scouting is the ultimate organization that a young man can join. You can only be a part of Little League baseball, football or soccer for a limited time. Scouting is a way of life, teaching boys to be self-sustaining.”
