Community leader now needs support
Nashville Boy Scout Troop 356 ready to help a friend who has helped them
By Dave Mast
March 22, 2010
526
On Monday, Feb. 22, Ron Gilbert and his family of seven lost their home to a fire. The fire, started by an electrical short, spread so quickly that Ron, who is confined to a wheelchair, escaped with only the TV remote in his hand and the house phone that he grabbed on his way out and still his whiskers were singed. Very few personal items were salvaged and the home was a total loss. He also lost his only means of transportation; a van specially equipped with a wheelchair lift and hand controls. Because the fire began at noon, his wife, Candy, who works for West Holmes Schools, daughter, Crystal, and four grandchildren, ranging in age from four to teenager, were out of the house, so Gilbert feels that his greatest gift is their safety.
Gilbert is the committee chairman of Nashville Boy Scout Troop 356 and helped get the troop started as a boy in 1963 when he moved to Nashville as a second-class scout. When he found that the troop had folded, he started asking individuals to get the troop started again. Before he could earn his Eagle rank, the troop folded again. He vowed that no scout who truly wanted the Eagle would face the same problems.
In 1979, he became the scoutmaster and built up the troop until he switched positions to become the committee chairman. Despite a motorcycle accident that has confined him to a wheelchair for many years, Gilbert has been anything but inactive. True to his vow, while he held the position of Eagle advisor for the Killbuck District, he helped more than 250 young men achieve their Eagle rank. Since 1988, he has also been active with Wooster Troop 76 and served as scoutmaster and in other positions.
Ron has been so instrumental in the lives of countless scouts over the years, and he has always been there for the kids, no matter what, said Scott Eliot, one of the leaders for Troop 356. Ron has never asked anything of the scouts, and he has always been an incredibly giving person. I think thats why the scouts are so drawn to him. In addition, the family has been so close to both the schools and the Amish community that they have grown close to an amazing number of people.
But scouts have always been Gilberts true passion. Between his two troops, he has personally worked with 47 boys to achieve the rank of Eagle and has worked with hundreds of other scouts along the way. These 47 young men have each completed a substantial project that has made an impact on our local communities, said Eliot. Not only that, all of the hundreds of Boy Scouts Ron has infused with his enthusiasm for living up to the Boy Scout Oath, have in turn, lived that life and changed their communities for the better. Thats the kind of impact Ron has made on his community throughout the years.
Having been the recipients of Gilberts care and commitment over the years, the scouts are looking to give back to the man who has given them so much. Troop 356 will hold a benefit for the Gilbert family, which will include a chicken barbecue, auction and bake sale on Saturday, March 27, at the Shreve American Legion. The troop will have a bake sale beginning at 11 a.m., along with the chicken barbecue from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. The auction will begin at 1 p.m., and there will be an additional chicken barbecue dinner from 4-6 p.m. All of the food is on a donation basis. There will also be kettle corn and homemade ice cream for sale, courtesy of the Amish families living near the Gilberts home.
We felt like Ron has given so much to the scouts over the years that it was important for us to give back to his family since they are in such great need, said Eliot. We want to invite everyone to come out and support the Gilberts during this time.
The auction is still filling up with items, and more are needed. The troop is seeking donated items for the auction from the community, and are asking that anyone interested call the organizers. We are currently seeking new or like-new items for the auction, so if anyone has anything that they would like to donate, please get in contact with us, said Eliot. Donors should call Kevin at 330-465-0744, Scott or Jeanie Eliot at 330-464-9456 or 330-279-4242, or Brad at 330-347-9439 to arrange for deliveries, or they will also pick up items. In addition, monetary donations to the family can be made at Monitor Bank, in care of the Gilbert Family Fund.
