In 1984 shortly after I began my service to Scouting in the Cayuga County Council, my predecessor called to warn me about one of our council's executive board members named Wilbur Townsend. He said to watch out because, as soon as the monthly finance reports were distributed at our executive board meetings, he would immediately pull out his pocket calculator and begin running the numbers.

My sense was that my colleague would be sweating bullets for fear that something wouldn't balance or that there was an arithmetic error somewhere on the statements, and that if there was, he just knew that Wilbur would find it. But the more I thought about it the more I realized that that was what he was supposed to be doing, and it was our staff's responsibility to make sure that the statements were correct.

Well 23 years later, Wil Townsend is still reviewing our financial statements with a fine tooth comb, and our council's financial health and scouting is all the better for it.

Today our computers have replaced our adding machines and of course never make a mistake. But the increasing complexity of fund accounting has to be a challenge to any CPA. Wil often comments that it was far easier to manage the multimillion dollar budget at Beacon where he was chief financial officer and CEO than it is to understand and work with the Boy Scouts of America's accounting system. Annually, Regional BSA representatives visit all Scout Councils to review their entire operation including finance. At our 2007 review these representatives were amazed that Wilbur had such a solid grasp on the BSA accounting system.

Wil Townsend began Scouting in 1933 and recalls fondly his fellow Scouts experiences at Camp Rotary. They would actually hike out to camp from Auburn. Back then parents didn't drive you out to Sam Adams Lane in the family's SUV. Half the fun was the satisfaction of getting out there safely with all your gear and getting home the same way.

When Scouts are young they are easy to recognize in their navy blue or khaki uniforms. But when they become adults they shed their uniforms and blend into the fabric of the community. What they do carry with them is sometimes hard to see. But when you get to know and work with people like Wil Townsend these traits jump right out at you.

Values, ethics, reverence and selfless service to the community are his tenets. In the business world it's a sense of personal responsibility for all those who work for you and look to you for the leadership necessary to keep the business strong and jobs secure. In Scouting I've always considered Wil our moral compass and a sounding board who helps our entire Board to make good decisions.

After more than 40 years in scouting and certainly earning the right to sleep in, Wil continues to get up at 6 a.m. leaving wife Pricilla and son Bill waiting at home, to attend our 7:30 a.m. council board meetings. His only reward is a corn muffin and the satisfaction of knowing that scouting, our community and its young people are stronger because of him.

Don Grillo is the Scout Executive for the Cayuga County Council, Boy Scouts of America located at 7235 Mutton Hill Road in Auburn.