Eagle has landed for scout icon
May 10—They came from far and wide to celebrate a true Pauls Valley icon who guided the path for local scouting for many decades.
Dr. James "Doc" Ruster got his day in the scouting sun during a recent gathering where he was awarded the Golden Eagle by the Arbuckle Area Council of Scouts BSA.
That's a big deal at the highest level as the award is given to Scout leaders who have shown years of "exemplary service" to their scout troops.
That's a given in Ruster's case since he served for 48 years as assistant scoutmaster and scoutmaster of the Boy Scouts Troop 73 in Pauls Valley.
"We were really pleased to give this long overdue award to Doc," said Paul Robbins, who is the current scoutmaster for the local troop.
"His work the past 48 years has created a lasting legacy in Pauls Valley that we hope to continue to build on creating good citizens that give back to their community. I can't think of a more deserving individual."
During the recent banquet to honor Ruster with the top scouting honor more than 130 friends and fellow scouts from as far away as Utah and Vermont came to be there.
Robbins says the room was full of his former scouts and their families, as well as fellow scout leaders that had all been influenced by Doc's efforts.
During his time as scout leader Ruster served on multiple committees for the Boy Scouts Arbuckle Area Council, focused his work on Camp Simpson serving on the camping committee for several years, helped build and repair the Camp Simpson facilities and took scouts to summer camp every year to earn merit badges.
Ruster was right there leading scouts on an annual "high adventure" trip every summer.
Some of those trips were backpacking in the Grand Gulch Wilderness Area in Utah, backpacking in the Pecos Wilderness in New Mexico, backpacking the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico and canoeing the Green River in Utah and Boundary Waters in Minnesota.
"Doc loves the outdoors and especially the wilderness areas where most people never get the chance to go," Robbins said.
"He enjoyed leading scouts on these adventures where they learned determination, perseverance, teamwork and also gained an appreciation for nature.
"He believes some of the best lessons are taught while hiking up a trail, paddling across a remote lake or sitting around the campfire miles away from civilization. Former scouts will tell you these trips were some of their best memories."
During Ruster's years of service, Troop 73 had 38 scouts achieve the highest rank of Eagle Scout. The final step to achieving this rank is the completion of an eagle scout project that benefits the scout's community.
With Ruster at the helm scouts have completed eagle projects in Pauls Valley that have improved places like P.A.W.S./animal shelter, PV Nature Park, PV Sports Complex, PV High School, Lee Elementary, Pauls Valley Dog Park, Rotary Rose Garden in Wacker Park, Pauls Valley United Methodist Church, Pauls Valley Compassion Church, Beaty Baptist Church, city of Wynnewood and Pauls Valley's public library.
Robbins says it was Ruster who always encouraged the scouts to look for opportunities where they could give back to their communities.
Over the years his troop participated in multiple clean up days for Pauls Valley, provided flag ceremonies for events, helped maintain the Rotary Rose Garden, worked rest stops for Valley Rally Bicycle Race, Nature Park renovations, helped with the Samaritans food pantry and many other events.
