By John Blankenship
In an era when we hear of more children who commit crimes than do anything good, many adults claim they are losing faith in the younger generation.
Many claim they are too busy or too overworked to get involved with the youth of their nation.
Cliff Baker of Lewisburg is the exception.
After working with his Boy Scout troop for the past 25 years, the devoted scoutmaster still has the desire to make a difference.
“If you want to teach a youngster how to appreciate the outdoors, the value of community and to be a good citizen, scouting is how you do it,” Baker said. “A scout is taught to perform a good turn daily, which are often small, thoughtful acts, and are usually carried out without any recognition.”
Baker, 67, continues to make a difference in the lives of young men in his community.
And the retired engineer is proud of his fellow scout leaders and scout members who continue to give of themselves through the Boy Scouts of America.
Serving more than 4.6 million young people between 7 and 20 years of age with more than 300 councils throughout the United States and its territories, the BSA is the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based training. Started in 1910, the BSA will celebrate its 100th anniversary this week.
Baker, a private and modest man, takes his job description seriously.
The scoutmaster is the adult leader responsible for the image and program of the troop. He works directly with the scouts. The importance of his job is reflected in the quality of guidance affecting every youth and adult involved in the troop.
It’s the scoutmaster’s job to conduct all activities under qualified leadership, safe conditions and policies of the chartered organization and the BSA.
“We’ve always stressed first-class adventure,” Baker offered with the tone of a man who hasn’t forgotten what it was like to be a boy. “And the goals of citizenship, character and fitness — they’re still there.”
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What does it mean to be a Boy Scout in the 21st century?
“It means that you are still combining basic tenants of boy scouting: the love of the outdoors and the environment, the principles of the Scout Oath and Law, and the culture of the 21st century,” Baker explained.
“The newly revised scouting handbook reflects scouting goals for the 21st century — goals built around the core values of scouting: citizenship, community service and character development, goals of being prepared and being trustworthy, the same basic characteristics that are valid in any time in history.”
Baker wears the badge of Troop 70, which boasts some 30 members.
Each new week presents its own set of challenges and opportunities for the veteran scoutmaster. His troop meets on Monday evenings at Lewisburg United Methodist Church when school is in session.
What keeps Baker motivated is the desire to improve his skills so he can deliver the best possible scouting program as he presents tried-and-true methods for developing boy-led troops.
“The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law,” Baker observed.
Using that mantra as a guide, scoutmasters such as Baker and others across the nation routinely help boys grow into great men. They do it by offering responsible fun and adventure, values-based character education and training in citizenship, service and leadership.
Critical to the success of Troop 70 is an ongoing travel program, both international and domestic, according to Baker. The treks have included canoeing in the northern Maine wilderness, backpacking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, touring Boston and New York, scuba diving in the Florida Keys and Fort Jefferson National Park in the Gulf of Mexico, backpacking at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico and climbing 14,000-foot peaks in Colorado.
Baker’s goal is to give every troop member an opportunity to travel internationally at least once during his scouting career. He explained:
“Our troop has watched the sunrise from the summit of Mount Fuji in Japan, explored glaciers in geo-thermal areas in Iceland, hiked in the Yorkshire Dales and the Lakes District of England, explored the mountains of Wales, visited London and attended a number of jamborees throughout England; and last summer we spent three weeks in Germany, riding bicycles in the Bodensee (a lake in Bavaria) part of the Rhine River, hiked in the Bavarian Alps and toured Salzburg, Austria, Munich, Germany, and the Dachau concentration camp.”
At home, the troop has engaged in extensive backpacking treks throughout the Mountain State and Virginia, as well as kayaking and canoeing, rock climbing and rappelling.
“An active outdoors program throughout the year and international trips keep scouts interested in staying in the troop,” Baker added. “It helps maintain interest over a long period of time and facilitates achievement of the scouting goals.”
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To accomplish their goals, scoutmasters must move beyond the planning of meetings, events, games, and outings, since those jobs are for other people, preferably a troop’s boy leaders.
The only job a scoutmaster cannot delegate is “keeper of the flame,” a leadership commitment to scouting’s mission as an integral part of the troop’s program.
Scouting also provides a rich environment for teaching ethical choices. The measuring stick is the Scout Oath and Law. When a scout makes an ethical choice, he is honored as an example to teach others.
In the years Baker has served as scout leader, he has witnessed scores of his charges attain the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in boy scouting.
At the same time, the mild-mannered scoutmaster is responsible for bringing the troop to where it is today.
And yet, to list his personal accomplishments would seem an injustice to Baker, who is known throughout his community as the embodiment of humility.
Even his fundamental message is a simple one: “Integrity is the fiber of all core values among scouts. Without it, all other values cannot prevail; it is the cornerstone for all that is moral and just in our society.”
In other words, it is more than plain honesty.
“It embraces other attributes such as courage, responsibility, accountability, justice, openness, self-respect and humility. Integrity also involves keeping commitments, being sincere, being honest in word and deed and expecting the same of others, accepting responsibility for one’s own actions and being a morally upright person.
“Without integrity, the moral pillars of our society — public trust and self-respect — are lost.”
If anyone could demonstrate sterling qualities of scouting to each new wave of scout members, it is Baker, who promotes the ideals of the Boy Scouts in that he lives them himself. He is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly and courteous. He is cheerful, kind and reverent.
At the same time, his influence has touched more than just the young men in scouting. He became a part of their families and his troops became part of his family. Perhaps that is the greatest honor of all — the honor of having Baker as part of your life.
“He is somebody who inspires others,” troop member Brandon Collins of Lewisburg said. “He has a genuine drive and determination to help youngsters become the best persons they can be. His greatest strength may be his ability to develop leadership qualities in those who serve in his scout troop. He is an example of scouting’s ideal. That’s the character of the man.”
Collins, a Greenbrier East High School junior, added of Baker: “Just to know him is one of the greatest rewards in any of our lives. If you ever have a problem with anything, he is there with a smile and a helping hand. You can always count on him. He is there to be your friend.”
— E-mail: jabbb@register-herald.com
