Scoutmaster Awarded 'Bittersweet' Honor After Losing Close Friend Gerard Buckley

HAMPTON BAYS, NY — One of the proudest and happiest days of Allen Schneider's life was marred by the most painful of tragedies — one of his closest friends, Gerard Buckley, died suddenly on Thursday.

Schneider, Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 483 in Hampton Bays and longtime Hampton Bays Fire Department member, was set to receive the Silver Beaver Award, one of the highest honors bestowed by the Boy Scouts of America, Thursday night.

And even more heartbreaking, Buckley, former Scoutmaster of Troop 483 and one of Schneider's closest friends, was set to escort his longtime Scouting comrade to the stage to accept his honor.

"Last night was a very bittersweet night for me. I received one of the highest awards in Scouting, but minus my friend Gerard Buckley, who was supposed to be there to help me receive the BSA Silver Beaver Award. Things will not be the same without him around. I will continue to walk in his footsteps and make him proud," he wrote on Facebook.

The Silver Beaver Award, according to the BSA, "is given to registered adult leaders who have made an impact on the lives of youth through service given to the council. The Silver Beaver is an award given to those who implement the Scouting program and perform community service through hard work, self-sacrifice, dedication, and many years of service. It is given to those who do not actively seek it."

And despite the honor, the pain of losing his friend turned a day of joy into a day blanketed with mourning, Schneider said.

"When I was first notified that I would be receiving the Silver Beaver Award this year, I was very honored and excited. My close friend Jerry Buckley had received the award back in 2009 and back then I was one of the people that he asked to escort him on to the stage to receive the Award. So naturally I had asked Jerry to do the same thing for me. Jerry and I have been through a lot, between the Hampton Bays Fire Department and Boy Scouts, and I was truly looking forward to having him by my side last night," he said Friday.

"I was totally shocked by Jerry’s passing yesterday and still am. One of Jerry’s other close friends, Jeff DiLandro, of Ocean Electric, was the one that first called me to let me know that Jerry was on his way to the hospital. After we both left the hospital we discussed the awards dinner and agreed that Jerry would want us to be there. So I asked Jeff to step in and escort me to the podium in Jerry’s place," he added. "Needless to say everyone from the Boy Scouts that knew Jerry were also shocked at the news of his passing."

But all who knew and loved Buckley agreed that he would have wanted Schneider to receive his well-deserved honor Thursday night. Scouting was a deep bond of dedication and commitment to young people that the two longtime friends shared.

A life in Scouting

Describing his Scouting experience, Schneider said, "I have been a scoutmaster with Hampton Bays Troop 483 since 2007 and before that I was a Cub Scout leader with my son Charlie's Cub Scout pack. Originally, as I always do I volunteered to help out in Scouting with whatever they needed done. Little did I know at the time how much needed to be done."

To date, he said, he has helped guide 12 young men to becoming Eagle Scouts during his tenure as Scoutmaster in Hampton Bays. Overall, the troop has produced 40 Eagle Scouts in its 30 year history of Scouting.

"This year the troop was also recognized by the BSA for 30 years of continuous service to our community. One of the things that I started doing when I became the Scoutmaster of Troop 483 was to institute a program of camping 12 months a year. This means that the Scouts camp each and every month, year round," Schneider said. "This kind of camping really builds character and teaches the Scouts how to take care of themselves no matter what the weather; the program has been a great success."

The troop also has a very active community service program that provides the Scouts with many opportunities to perform community service and give back, he said.

Remembering his friend, Schneider said, "Back in 2009 Jerry Buckley asked me to help him with running the annual Fall Camporee, which is basically a large gathering of all of the troops in the Scout district for a weekend of Scouting competition and skills training. We average 500 to 700 scouts participating at these events, but we have reached attendance numbers approaching 1500 scouts back in 2010 for the 100 year anniversary of scouting."

Reflecting on Scouting, Schneider said, "One of the things that I have learned during my tenure with Scouting is that Scouting is more important today than ever before. Scouting is helping to teach young men how to be self-sufficient, how to take care of themselves, problem solving, leadership skills, and character development. We also get them out of the house and away from the video games and social media. They reconnect with the outdoors and develop better social skills as well. These are things that are just not available in any other program."

Patch courtesy photos.