A young Tim Falendysz was a member of the Boy Scouts of America where he worked his way through the ranks as many others had done before him. Before reaching eighteen years of age he accomplished something only one percent of all scouts do, he achieved scouting's highest rank, that being Eagle Scout. In the organization, the eighteenth birthday is the deadline for completion of advancement and is also the limit to youth involvement in the program. Tim, like so many other young men, then became an adult advisor to the troop where he had long been involved. It was at this point that the scoutmaster of the troop chose to step down. Tim, who was twenty years of age, stepped up to the challenge of guiding the lives of young men ranging from twelve to seventeen. The job of scoutmaster is very demanding and not for the faint of heart. He had to organize and run events, encourage parents to be involved, and teach many young men in the most difficult time of their lives the values of citizenship, trustworthiness, and respect for nature and society.
Any individual who chooses to take on such a noble and involved position deserves commendation. Mr. Falendysz, however, is extraordinary in this regard because it is to be noted that he has continued teaching and shaping the lives of our youth for the last twenty years! He has been instrumental in so many lives; so many boys have grown to know him as a second father, a teacher, and for many a best friend.
The idea of community service is one of the cornerstones of the Boy Scout program. Each Eagle Scout must design, organize, and complete a service project as one of their requirements. Mr. Falendysz, known to his troop and friends as Mr. F, has seen 51 eagle scouts during his time as scoutmaster, and by the end of the year that number should rise to 55. If the amount of service to the community performed by the troop for these projects, usually around 100 total man-hours, and all the others during the years could be estimated, the amount would be staggering. Our community has enjoyed the results of these projects for years including landscaping and birdhouses both at the Racine Zoo, clean up of North Beach, installation of playground equipment at St Rita's Church, and numerous improvements of River Bend.
Mr. F and his troop's participation in service to our community includes; scouting for food, the REST program, bell ringing for the Salvation Army, adopt a highway, playground construction in Franksville and the list goes on. Mr. F's involvement in the troop keeps him busy anywhere from 4-7 nights or days a week, every week, and he usually makes it through the summer months with only one or two weekends with no scheduled scouting activities! This amount of commitment can not be compared to anyone else I have ever met especially when considering that everything he does for the community, the sponsoring church and the troop of young scouts is absolutely voluntary!
It is so easy in society today to focus on the negatives, resulting in too many times average people doing incredible things and not be noticed or appreciated. This contest is to find the ultimate Kris Kringle, someone who gives and gives without thought of receiving in return. An individual who as a twenty year old made a commitment to expend his energies in life for the betterment of the community, and for twenty years has continued as a role model. Each year we have a Christmas campout in our troop and Mr. F dresses up in his costume, so when I heard about this contest I immediately thought about the attached picture and the man we have become so attached to.
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