Racine & Me: A Scoutmaster's 40-Year Legacy with BSA Troop 161
RACINE, Wis (CBS58) - Out of the hundreds of thousands of Boy Scouts throughout America, only six percent achieve the top rank of Eagle Scout. A small number of individuals who move on to become leaders and assets throughout all communities. Tim Falendysz, the former Scoutmaster of Troop 161 in Racine, and Eagle Scout himself, has dedicated over 40 years of his life to teaching the values of scouting. Tim joined us in studio this week to discuss his legacy with the troop and the benefits of the Boy Scouts of America organization.
On June 4, 1984, Tim took on the role of Scoutmaster of Troop 161 and quickly fostered a record number of members peaking at over 70 scouts. Over the years, the troop has become a more manageable size, but the impact of Tim’s leadership continues to grow. During his 40-year tenure as Scoutmaster, Tim mentored well over 1000 scouts in total and helped more than 100 earn the ultimate rank of Eagle Scout. Those who achieved Eagle with Tim’s help have gone on to become assets to their communities—holding various jobs, such as: policemen, servicemen, chemists, doctors, nurses, and engineers. Tim says these individuals often credit the lessons and leadership experience they gained from scouting as part of their success.
The core principles of the scouting movement are defined and taught in the Scout Oath and Law. The Scout Oath is a spoken promise made by all those who join a scout troop, pledging to live up to the ideals of the organization. The Scout Law is a list of twelve values that guide the behavior of all scouts. Although there are different facets to the Oath and Law, the overall themes teach young scouts to be responsible and respectful in regard to themselves, their community, and their faith. Tim says the more people who live by the Scout Oath and Law, the better our society will become.
However, Tim emphasizes joining a scout troop does not only benefit the individual scout, but their family in general. The memories of scouting adventures, like camping trips or backpacking, shared between child and parent last a lifetime. Tim believes the familial bonds that grow because of scouting are the true value of the BSA. He also says many of his alumni scouts have passed down the lessons they learned from scouting in their youth to their own families.
On June 4, 2024, exactly 40 years after becoming Scoutmaster of Troop 161, Tim retired. A celebration was held in his honor bringing many alumni scouts who shared stories of their scouting adventures plus where they are now in life. Looking back, Tim has spent countless hours hiking, camping, and attending meetings over the years all due to his passion of scouting. Now, Tim walks away from Troop 161 with immense pride knowing he helped so many youths mold their character around the Scout Oath and Law.