Retiring Plymouth Cub Scout Master Honored Jan. 9

Mark Shaleen has taken countless camping trips, handed out numerous badges a and attended many meetings over the years.

A Cub Scout Master for Plymouth Cub Scout troop 539 for about nine years. The committed father of two took over Pack 539 when the current leader was about to walk away.

“I didn’t want to see this opportunity disappear for my kids and for other boys in the area,” Shaleen said.

So Shaleen and several other parents made a commitment to keep the pack running. 

“He’s put endless time and effort into this pack,” Unit Commissioner Don Daraskevich said. “He took on a lot of work and a lot different roles to keep this pack in the city.”

Shaleen donated about 35 hours each month to the pack. He held so many different titles a committee plans to replace him with four or five people.

After almost a decade of community service, Shaleen is stepping down. At his last official meeting Jan. 9 Cub Scouts that Shaleen worked with his first year in the pack came to present the colors as a way to say thank you.

“A lot of these boys grew up with Mark, but once they reach the fifth grade they move on to Boy Scouts so he hasn’t seen some of these boys in awhile,” Daraskevich said. “We thought it was a nice way to honor him tonight and show how long he has been at this.”

Both of Shaleen’s boys were in Cub Scouts. Nick is 13 and is now old enough to be a Boy Scout and his youngest, David, is about to move up to Boy Scouts as well.

“With both of my kids now moving up, it just makes sense for me to move on too,” Shaleen said.

While he is leaving one post, he says he will be active in Boy Scouts, and feels its bittersweet to leave the pack of 42 boys.

“I’ve had some great memories and it’s been a pleasure to watch the boys grow and mature,” he said. “My fondest memory was probably about three years ago during a camping trip when a parent told me their son said, ‘Sleeping out in this tent is probably the biggest moment of my life.’”

Memories like this one were shared Monday night during a reception at St. Barnabas Church on Old Rockford Road.

“He will be missed,” Daraskevich said. “There is no doubt about it.”