Bob has a long and storied Scouting career. He was a charter member (1963) Cub Scout in Pack 50, Guilderland, NY (in the former Schenectady County Council), sponsored by St. Madeleine Sophie's Catholic Church, earning the Arrow of Light and Parvule Dei Awards. He graduated into Troop 50 in September 1967, and rose to the rank of Life Scout, attending 6 camporees, summer camp (at Camp Boyhaven) 3 times, and numerous other campouts. He was appointed as Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, and was also elected to the Order of the Arrow (Sisilija Lodge #19), just before his family moved to Camp Hill, PA (on the west shore of Harrisburg) in March 1971. In Camp Hill, Bob immediately joined Troop 54 (Keystone Area Council), sponsored by Grace Lutheran Church, and transferred to Susquehannock Lodge #11, Attaock Chapter. He also became the Troop Quartermaster, holding that position for the rest of his tenure with the Troop.

Bob became an avid camper in Troop 54, attending 2 Philmont treks (both times acting as Crew Chief), 2 Paxton District 75 mile Pack and Paddle Canoe treks, the 1973 National Jamboree in Moraine State Park (where he acted as the Senior Patrol Leader for the Troop), 1 summer camp (at Hidden Valley), 5 camporees, and numerous other campouts. He earned four 50 miler awards as a Scout with Troop 54. However, he did not earn Eagle Scout ("for," he says, "all the usual excuses,") and graduated out of Scouts (and into Georgetown University) in late August 1973.

Bob withdrew from Scouting for the next 15 years, while completing his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees, and two post-doctoral appointments, at Georgetown. He joined the Federal Government in December 1987, and moved in March 1988 to a residence near St. Agnes Church. He was recruited by two members of the Legion of Mary of St. Agnes while painting his porch in early April, and after attending a Parent's Committee meeting several weeks later, joined the Troop in mid-May.

Twenty years later, Bob hands the reins of the troop to a new Scoutmaster. His retirement speech summarizes his thoughts and feelings as he faces new challenges.

Thanks to everyone for coming, and for all the roasting. I think you can stick a fork in me now.

I always tell the Eagle Scouts to not make their speeches an endless string of thank-you’s, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to break that rule myself, starting with the folks who conspired to put this thing together (Tinia Lively, Christine Aylor, Pauline Clark, Mona Hazera, and Roxanne Kerr). Let’s all give them a big thank you.

It’s been a long, hard trail.

On May 9th, 1988, I was handed a Xerox paper box half filled with records and wished ‘Good Luck’ by the departing Scoutmaster, Paul Hill, who had just been transferred overseas. It was my second meeting, and my life was completely rearranged in the 30 seconds it took him to arrive and depart. I turned around to look at the 6 Scouts in the room, and to this day I can’t say who was more terrified, them or me. That night we started on an experiment - what happens when you put a Post-Doctoral Fellow and Head T.A. in charge of a Scout Troop? Not exactly a classroom of Pre-Med students at Georgetown.

There is, of course, both great power - and I suppose great danger too - in starting out with a clean white-board. From the very start I resolved that if I was going to do this thing, it would be lock, stock, and barrel - and that we would commit to being a top-level Troop, in camping, high adventures, advancement, competitions, and service. Troop 111 already had a rich history, almost 50 years’ worth, and that was a solid foundation on which to re-build. Fortunately we had three other things in our favor, too - the support of St. Agnes, the wide variety of skills I had been properly taught when I was a Scout myself (and thanks to my own Scoutmasters and ASMs), and the help of a few Scouters in neighboring Units, especially Max Padon of Troop 673 in Great Falls, who took a then tiny Troop 111 on over a dozen trips in the late 80’s and early 90’s, and helped teach us the ways of modern Scouting, and more importantly showed us what ‘Quality Unit’ really meant.

And so here we are, 20 years later. The numbers are staggering – About 250 Scouts, including the 80 currently enrolled. Approximately 200 weekend campouts, 21 summer camps, and about 40 high adventures, including 10 Philmonts and about 10 international trips. Those weekends included 15 Projectorees, about 20 Camporees, 4 Klondike Derbies, 2 Valley Forge Encampments, a dozen Orienteering Meets, a dozen Alonzo Stagg Hikes, dozens of ski trips, 2 dozen canoe trips, 20 Scouting for Food campaigns (where Troop 111 alone has collected approximately 100,000 pounds of food), and more. Competition awards seemingly too numerous to count (can perpetual First Places ever get boring?), tens of thousands of hours of trail service, and tens of thousands of hours of community service. Now that, my friends, is a Scout Troop.

For me personally, it’s been quite a ride. Yes, lots of hard work and ridiculously long hours, a small fortune spent, a body that’s been rode hard and put away wet way too many times, some great frustrations, and even some failures. But innumerable triumphs too, and more fun than any man should legally be able to experience.

About 10 years ago, Max Padon asked me where I thought I was making my more important contributions to America - at DEA or at Boy Scouts. At the time I responded that it was probably a tie. Since then, the needle has swung to Scouts. I am a very wealthy man, in ways that will never show up on creditreport-dot-com. Not a bad use of two decades of a life.

And now, some personal remarks to our current Scouts and Adults.

To the Scouts: You’ve heard me say it before - you’ll have about 70 years to be an adult, but only 7 years to be a Scout. You have listened to Eagle Scout after Eagle Scout tell you at their Courts of Honor to do as many Scouting activities as you can. Nearly all of those same Scouts have told me over and over again that they wished they had gone on more events, and especially on more high adventure events. Not one has ever told me that they wished they had spent more time playing video games, or skateboarding, or at soccer practice, or at play rehearsal, or at parties, or studying, or making a few hundred dollars more at their jobs. Your lifetime memories are made ‘out there,’ not here. And maybe more importantly, your most valuable life-skills are developed ‘out there,’ not here. Take advantage of as many opportunities as you can in your remaining time in Scouts - Try everything at least once in your career - Don’t assume you won’t like it, or that you won’t be able to hack it, or that you can’t do it. Many of your non-Scouting friends never learn the full measure of themselves, because they never put themselves to the test. Dig deep, and you will find that your personal well is a lot deeper than you ever imagined - and that self-awareness will give you an inner strength that will carry you for a lifetime. I guarantee you three things - First, that you will never regret the time you spend on Scouting activities. Second, that if you want (and as you are seeing with me), these are things you can do for another 50 years. And third, that over your lifetimes you will get out of Scouts 10 times what you put into it - so invest in yourselves, and set your sights high.

To the Adults: First, always remember the difference between a Scouting Program and an Eagle Diploma Mill. Achievement obtained with little effort, or with endless adult help and micro-management, has as much life value as a gold star in Kindergarden. You have heard me say it many times - Eagle is the BYPRODUCT of a properly run Scouting program - in fact, and here’s a personal secret that I have never revealed before - in my opinion the Eagle Award’s greatest value is its role in keeping boys in the program long enough for them to inculcate the true values of Scouting, and to both develop and practice the life-skills we’re trying to teach. How to lead - and how to follow, how to teach, how to organize and control groups, how to organize activities, cooperation, how to present material, public speaking, interacting with adults on an adult level, parenting skills, basic survival skills in emergency situations (like Katrina or even Isabel), and perseverance in the face of adversity. I ask you to consider that (historically) when Troop 111 was easy, we turned out very few Eagle Scouts. But when we were as tough as nails, we turned out as many Eagle Scouts as anyone in the Council, and probably a higher percentage than any other Unit. Why? Because here Eagle Scout is a genuine achievement, that has a lot more to it than 21 Merit Badges and a Project. Always keep in mind that the true level of our success (or failure) as Scouters is not measured for 35 years - usually long after we’ve moved on with our own lives. That’s a harsh reality if you crave ‘Attaboys,’ but it also reveals a deeper truth. Never care about the number of names on the Eagle plaques - always care that every Scout who enters Troop 111 leaves it a better person for the experience, whether they were here for one year, or seven, and regardless of their final rank.

Second, please also remember that you are members of a Scouting Community - Comprised of not only Troop and Pack 111, but also all of our neighboring Units. If I have a larger legacy in local Scouting, it is the renewal of the cooperative spirit among most of the Troops in Arlington, and to a lesser extent in McLean. Many of you are aware of the extraordinary efforts of a handful of Scouters in getting Chain Bridge District off the ground 10 years ago. I appeal to all of you to continue to carry that torch. Step up - Get involved - Get down and dirty. In the slang of Vietnam, become a line animal - a grunt. Remember that even a lousy day in the woods with your son and his fellow Scouts is far better than a great day in the Office. Take active roles in our Projectorees, Camporees, Alonzo Stagg Hikes, Klondike Derbies, Scouting for Food campaigns, and the other District events. Go ahead and join the District Staff for a couple of years, and make your mark. Yes, it really is possible to establish a stable orbit around the Black Hole of Commitment and not get sucked in. There is a deep satisfaction in successfully carrying out events that benefit and teach hundreds of Scouts. Some of you have heard me say it, and most of you have seen me live it - Go Home Exhausted. There is an ancient Japanese aphorism - Who Must Do the Difficult Things? - Those Who Can.You can - Please do.

Five minutes ago, I warned you that I had some Thank You’s to deliver. Most of you will not recognize many of these names, and many of those I am going to mention are not here tonight. I apologize in advance for not mentioning everyone, but I don’t believe any of us want to be here for another two hours. First John Haller (former SM-647), Carl Doughman (N. Arlington ADC, now deceased), and Max Padon (former SM-673). These three were the only ones to reach out a hand of true friendship and help to a novice Scoutmaster and a dying Troop back in 1988, and we are all in their debt. Second, to two of our former Scoutmasters who did the same, Mike L’Abbe and John Manning (who just passed away yesterday). Third, to my Committee Chairs through the years, Sonia Hoehn, Bill Brady, Dan Creedon, Sue Nelson, and Rob Beckman. Third, to the very long-term Assistant Scoutmasters, especially Tim Arthurs, Larry Helm, Jeff Kent, Rich Sheehey (over 15 years!), Rick Wolff (almost 15 years), Glenn McGregor, Al Mazloom, and Atom Shock. And finally, to those parents who worked so hard behind the scenes, and made me look good so often, especially Bob and Judy McLaughlin, Sally McMullen, Tom and Sally Berra, Chuck and Kathy Yarbrough, Paul and Sue Evans, Julie Atkins, ***Jim and Kim Smith, Walter and Pat Hupalo, Jeff Kempter, John Kennedy, Diane Cabrales, Jane Tuck, John and Heidi Brennan, Hugh Schratwieser, ***Ted and Ann Gerarden, Joy Gough, Rita Rooney, Annette Race, Noel Schulz, Roxanne Kerr, Mona Hazera, Regina Cassidy, ***Pauline Clark, ***Maggie Eddy, and Brian MacNamara. And again, thanks to the many dozens of others who were not mentioned, including all my friends and compatriots in other Units.

So now I walk away, not into the sunset, but to new personal challenges. As you all know, there is a 12-step program for recovering addicts, but obviously that won’t be enough for me - so I’ll be trying a 5 million step program - the Appalachian Trail. We’ll see if that works.

It is one of the maxims of Boy Scouting that we always leave an area better than we found it. For over 20 years you have entrusted me with the stewardship of Troop 111 and, to a lesser extent, with Scouting in Arlington. I believe I am returning both better than found. It has been both a privilege and an honor to serve. Thank you and good night.

- Bob

You can email Dr. Bob at "drbob-at-troop111.org".