Roys say goodbye to Boy Scout Troop 50

NAHANT – John Roy jokes that he was sucked into becoming Boy Scout Troop 50’s Scoutmaster because he and his wife Alice loved to camp.That was 14 years ago and Wednesday, during the troop’s annual Court of Honor, the Roys hung up their merit badges for good.”The troop can benefit from new blood,” Roy said prior to the ceremony.The Roys became involved in scouting because of their two sons, and make no mistake, John Roy may be Scoutmaster, but Alice Roy is his admitted right-hand. He said particularly over the last year, when he confesses to having slacked off a bit knowing the end of his run was near, it was Alice who pushed him.He said he made the decision over a year ago that when his youngest son Alec turned 18 he would step down.That knowledge sent shock waves through Troop 50, not only because they would be losing the Roys after 14 years, but also because they had no prospects in replacing them.Roy said he drew a hard line, however, and stuck to his decision to leave whether a new scoutmaster came forward or not. At the 11th hour, Peter Fitzpatrick stepped into the roll.Roy said he will miss the boys and seeing them grow and change, but what he will miss most are the minor victories.On one of the last camping trips Roy said one of the scouts proudly announced to Roy that he had finally managed to stuff his own sleeping bag back into its pint-sized pouch. Roy said he knows it sounds ridiculous, but this had been something he’d been trying to teach the boy for some time.”It gave me a thrill,” he said unabashedly. “I know it’s corny but it’s true. It was the little victories I loved.”He also received a boost when a mother approached him to tell him her son had recently cooked her breakfast.”She said, ‘He never would have done that if you hadn’t taught him to cook,'” he said.Roy said over the years he’s had kids come and go in scouting.”Not everyone stays, it isn’t for everyone, but I think everyone walks away from it with something,” he said.Wednesday was the Roys’ final Court of Honor Ceremony where merit badges are handed out, accomplishments are celebrated and new ranks are announced.Throughout the ceremony, two computer screens flashed pictures that spanned much of the Roys’ tenure as scout leaders.”Putting that together – I got a little weepy,” Roy said with a laugh. “I admit it, I’m a sap and I’ll probably go off again when I give my last speech.”Roy didn’t get weepy during his last speech, but he did call Alice up to hold his hand.”I couldn’t have done this without her,” he said.During his speech Roy promised the boys he wouldn’t completely forsake them, but he made them promise to show the new leadership that he taught them well.”Show them that we taught you to stuff your own sleeping bag correctly,” he said before the boys gave him one last standing ovation.The town also recognized the Roys at the annual Town Meeting in April, where the couple were jointly awarded the Citizen of the Year award. Town Moderator David Conlin, who presented the award, said it was the first time it was awarded jointly.