As 100th anniversary of organization nears, the nurturing role of Bill Pritchard is recalled

Bill Pritchard knew how to lead.

He had high standards, a big heart, and a passion for the values and lessons that were put forth in the code of the Boy Scouts of America. He was a conservationist and a firm believer in teaching young people a healthy respect for nature.

That’s why, for over 25 years, Pritchard was the scoutmaster of Troop 29. It was under his leadership that many young men, now successful in Leelanau County’s communities today as adults, became Eagle Scouts, the highest rank within the scouting organization.

Leland township’s treasurer, Mike Kirt, became an Eagle Scout in Pritchard’s troop. So did former Elmwood Township supervisor Noel Flohe, and the longtime former owner of Dick’s Pour House in Lake Leelanau, Richard Plamondon.

“Bill Pritchard was a wonderful, wonderful man,” said Kirt, as he and Leelanau County commissioner Will Bunek flipped through some old pictures given to Kirt years ago by Pritchard. Bunek said he “looked up to the older scouts,” like Kirt, who were ahead of him in the troop.

Bill Pritchard

“I never earned my Eagle Scout award, but the time I was a Boy Scout, before I went off to the seminary, I learned a tremendous amount, and I truly value that time I had with Bill Pritchard and Troop 29,” said Bunek.

“Bill Pritchard spent just about every weekend, and many nights after school with the boys of Troop 29. I don’t know how his wife put up with it sometimes, but he sure did have an incredible influence on so many boys in the county at the time,” added Kirt.

Kirt and Bunek said Pritchard worked closely with the troop in planting trees for the Conservation District.

“A lot of the evergreen trees you see today around the county were planted by Troop 29 back in the ‘50s and ‘60s,” said Kirt. In particular, the men recalled planting trees along Eagle Highway when they were young boys in the troop.

They explained that the troop did a number of conservation-related projects, such as building wood duck, bluebird and martin houses.

“In large part, Troop 29 could be credited for bringing back the bluebird to Leelanau County,” said Kirt.

Although his scouting legacy still lives on, Pritchard died in 1990. His wife, Shirley, has moved from their former home on North Lake Leelanau, and spends her time in Arizona and Traverse City. The Pritchards raised four children – three boys and a girl – and all had a role in scouting activities.

“Bill loved every minute of his time as a scoutmaster. It was his passion in life,” said his widow.

During the 1950s, ‘ 60’s and early 70’s, the troop officially met on Wednesday nights in Leland. Students from Lake Leelanau as well as Leland would gather to study such things as Morse code, tying knots, and first aid.

“Bill wanted kids to have a respect for nature, and he wanted to teach them to give back to their communities. That is one of the reasons why I’ve recently given money to the Leelanau Conservancy in Bill’s name and in the name of Troop 29. He would have wanted to support an organization like the Conservancy,” said Shirley Pritchard.

Bill Pritchard – like current scoutmasters Bill Perkins and Bill Queen, who lead Boy Scout Troop 131 of Suttons Bay – used the Boy Scout’s manual in addition to one of the 20th century’s best selling books, Scouting for Boys, by Lord Robert Baden-Powell, as their guide.

Baden-Powell was the founder of the scouting organization, which is currently celebrating the 100th anniversary of world scouting. Over 28 million young people in 218 countries worldwide are holding special events to celebrate scouting’s anniversary and to honor the man who started it all. The 100th year for scouting in America will be celebrated in the year 2010.

Noel Flohe attributes much of the building of his character to his time with Pritchard in the scouting organization.

“Bill’s leadership style was to teach us, as young people, to see that if you reach for the moon, you may not always make it, but you’ll always land among the stars,” said Flohe.

He said Pritchard was a man who led the troop to honor God, country, and self, and he did so by example.

“Bill earned the highest award that can be bestowed upon a scoutmaster, the Beaver Award, which was given for scout leadership in all areas, especially in the area of conservation,” said Flohe.

Pritchard and his wife took Troop 29 all over the county on scouting trips, including a memorable journey to Ranch Philmont at the National Scouting Camp, located in the Rocky Mountains of New Mexico. In a picture taken in 1958, Pritchard is seen wearing his Beaver Award. The boys in the picture, most of them Eagle Scouts, wear uniforms that were highly decorated with the awards they earned in their troop.

“Several in Troop 29 earned three of the highest awards bestowed upon scouts: the William T. Hornaday medal, which was the highest medal for conservation; the Eagle Scout award, which was the highest award for scouting; and the God and County award. Only one-tenth of one percent of scouts in the country ever earn all three of those awards. It was a special, special troop,” said Flohe.

He said that earning the three awards showed that a boy had balanced training.

“It showed a belief in God, it showed leadership, and it showed an understanding of nature and conservation,” said Flohe. “Bill was a genius in leadership in that troop, that’s for sure.”

Today, scouting lives on in Leelanau County. Mark Ewing of the Scenic Trails Council in Traverse City, which serves scouts all over northwest Lower Michigan, said there are several young people involved in scouting in the county, adding there’s plenty of room for more.

Besides Boy Scout Troop 131 of Suttons Bay, which serves boys ages 11-18, Suttons Bay also has Cub Scout Troop 131, led by Lynn Baker. About 50 boys in grades one through five are in the troop. Scoutmaster Bill Perkins said about 20 scouts are in Boy Scout troop 131 at any given time.

“We do a lot of camping in this troop,” said Perkins. “This summer we’re going to North Manitou and to Isle Royale.”

He said some of the Eagle Scouts of Troop 131 have earned their Eagle merit badges by doing conservation-related community work – carrying on the tradition that Troop 29 of Leland and Lake Leelanau began.

“Several of the scouts in this troop have planted trees and put in kestrel boxes as part of their badge work,” said Perkins.

Maple City also has a Cub Scout pack – Troop 111, led by Tom and Connie Pleva.

Ewing said, “We don’t have a Boy Scout troop pulling from the Glen Lake area yet, but we’re hoping for one,” Ewing said. “There is a lot of interest at the Cub Scout level, so we’ll see. Scouting is a great organization for boys, so we’re hoping it keeps building. All are welcome.”