A horseshoe of his peers surrounded scout leader Grant Townsend as he received his Silver Acorn Award on March 20 at the Fergus Scout house.
To Townsend, who was recognized for 45 years of dedication to Scouts Canada, the award means someone was very successful at having fun.
But the Belwood resident was very humble in receiving the honour himself.
“The theory is that yes you’re getting an award and yes I appreciate it very much, but why? I didn’t earn it,” said Townsend.
“I’m just out having a heck of a lot of fun with the boys. Seeing their faces and their enjoyment and their skills, that’s my enjoyment.”
Venturer Scouts Ethan Adler and Tom Westwood, who have known Townsend since the beginning of their time in scouts, say Townsend is very deserving of the honour.
“He’s always there. He’s probably one of the most dedicated people I know to scouts. You get everyone who’s there on the weekends but he’s there every day every week,” said Westwood.
“He has really made it so it encourages me to want to continue on. He’s just made it lots of fun to be in scouts.”
Adler said Townsend is “the best. He’s always there; you can call him up whenever you want.”
They recall many times spent with Townsend, including time out on his property and their annual Victoria Day weekend camping trips.
“The canoe trips are always a fun thing,” said Westwood. “Every year we always go on the canoe trip on the May two-four weekend, which is just a great time.”
Townsend, who also has very fond memories of the relished canoe trips, said time seems to fly by – and sometimes it goes by a bit too fast.
“Sometimes we get carried away and forget about time. I have been reprimanded for getting the boys home late one year,” said Townsend.
“It’s little remembrances that come up all the time. I had one young youth come up to me and he said, ‘You remember that canoe rescue? I used it this summer and it was great.’ And I said, ‘What was special?’ And he said, ‘I got her telephone number.’”
During his time with Scouts Canada, Townsend has had influence on scouts but also some current scout leaders as well.
“I have seen a lot of my scouts as leaders and it’s really appreciative that so many have carried on the skills,” said Townsend. “There are many, many names I could mention around here and it wouldn’t mean anything. But it would to me.”
Matt Haid, who is now a scout leader himself, grew up with Townsend as his leader.
“He’s everything that I am. As a scout leader he’s the guy you want,” said Haid.
“He’s going to teach you stuff and you’re not even going to know you’re going to learn it. He’s a scouter that everybody wants to be and that’s who they should be. What I teach my Venturers is what he taught me.”
Townsend continues to play a big role in the Wellington County scouting community, both as a leader and on his own accord, giving not only his time but supplies as well – and never asking for anything in return.
“He gives freely of anything. His time, stuff doesn’t matter. If you need it, call and it will show up” said Haid.
“It’s a long, long list of things he has done, and I don’t know anybody who has a complete list. I think he has done that on purpose.”
Townsend is described by fellow scouter Dean Post, as caring, giving, humble and modest. Post says Townsend has avoided recognition for many years.
“Recognition doesn’t really mean a whole lot to me,” said Townsend. “The whole thing is, why am I getting this because I’m enjoying myself. I shouldn’t be getting an award for just having fun.”
Townsend is now one of only three people in Wellington County that have received the Silver Acorn Award. Local area commissioner Shawn Jones outlined just how rare the award really is.
“We have 1,000 members currently in Wellington County. Three of them are at that calibre. So it’s a big deal,” said Jones.
Post said Townsend “has been a mainstay of scouting here in Fergus for generations now. He is what we strive for in scouting. Someone who gives and someone who thinks of others first – and he has emphasized that for 45 years.”
If someone was to add up just how many people Grant Townsend has influenced over his time with Scouts Canada, it would surely show the award is well deserved.
But perhaps the best reward of all is that his knowledge and experience will be handed down for generations still to come.
