Caledonia Argus

St. Mary receives Silver Beaver Award

Posted: 4/8/03

by Andrew Miller
Argus News Reporter

Recognizing his longtime commitment to serving area Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, Duane St. Mary was honored with the Silver Beaver Award at a ceremony held by the Gateway Area Council on March 15.

St. Mary, Caledoniaís Chief of Police, is one of just six people from Caledonia in the past hundred years to receive the award, which is given to adults who have displayed exceptional dedication to the Scouting program. The award was bestowed on account of St. Maryís service as Packmaster for Cub Scout Pack 251 between 1976 and 1986, as Troop 51ís representative to the Gateway Area Council between 1976 and 2003.

Jeb Griffith, a Silver Beaver recipient two years ago, nominated St. Mary for the award. ìYou have to be exceptional, and he (St. Mary) was,î Griffith said. ìHe went above and beyond the normal scout type stuff, and he did a lot of things he didnít have to do.î

ìDewey (St. Mary) could always be counted on to haul scouts, camp with them, help them with advancements, direct courts of honor and everything else that needed to be done,î said Griffith in his nomination letter. ìDewey was working non-stop for these two groups. The troop and the pack are still strong because when Dewey rose to the occasion he gave the programs a great boost.î

St. Maryís commitment to the program has been driven by the idea that Scouting is invaluable in that it teaches boys worthwhile skills and helps shape them into men. ìIt teaches a lot of life skills,î St. Mary noted. ìIt teaches teamwork and responsibility, and it teaches them self-esteem, pride, respect, how to take care of yourself. They learn that if you want to move forward and achieve something, youíve got to earn it.î

St. Mary learned the value of the skills Scouting teaches when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy following high school. There, he impressed officers with his knowledge of knots well before cadets had even been given a primer course on how to tie them. He got a jumpstart on his Naval peers, he said, through the Scouts, where tying knots is a skill required for advancement.

Through his sons St. Mary was again reminded of the importance of Scoutingís life lessons. His oldest son Stephen achieved the rank of Life Scout, one step below Eagle, and his second son, Jason, earned his Eagle Scout. His sons, who are now in their 30s, stuck with the program, and what they picked along the way, he said, helped ease the transition into adulthood.

Though no longer a Packmaster, St. Mary still maintains close ties with the Scouts. As an adult volunteer and a liaison between the Scouting program and VFW Club 3833, which helps sponsor the Scouts, he continues to lend a hand whenever possible. The Silver Beaver, then, will be to St. Mary a reminder that selfless public service does not go unnoticed.

ìItís really quite an honor,î St. Mary said. ìItís something Iíll really cherish.î

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