Meet Boy Scouts' top dogs in Manatee District

In dog years, it has been a heck of a run.

B.J. Maynard, or "Red Dog" as he is known to his friends, has spent 45 years with the Manatee District of the Boy Scouts of America. Through that time, he always has had kind words for the Scouts, even when they got a bit out of line.

 “Whenever my son (Will Drake) is doing something he should not be doing I call Red Dog,” said Summerfield's Bill Drake. "In Boys Scouts, the boys are supposed to be wearing closed-toe shoes at camp, and my son shows up at Camp Flying Eagle with sandals."

Drake thought Maynard, an executive in the district, would scold his son, but it just isn't Maynard's style.

"Instead, Red Dog talked to my son for 10 minutes," Bill Drake said. "Next thing I know, my son is grabbing his bag and he has his closed-toe shoes on ... something I tried to get him to do, but he wouldn't."

It has appeared Maynard is a kid whisperer.

If Maynard has special powers with the Scouts, so it seems, does Maureen Reinecke, who can't match Maynard's lifetime of service, but does have 11 years with the Manatee District.

Maynard and Reinecke are being recognized for their service on April 6 when the Manatee District hosts its annual Adult Volunteer Recognition Dinner at Camp Flying Eagle.

East County's Maynard will be presented the Lifetime of Service Award while Reinecke is being honored with the Golden Beaver Award.

The Lifetime of Service Award is a new one created especially for Maynard. The Silver Beaver Award is one of the district's top awards and it goes to one volunteer who is deeply committed to the Scouting program in Manatee County.

Both say they are truly honored to be recognized.

"I was blown away, completely shocked when I found out I was getting it," Reinecke said. "There are so many amazing people who volunteer here, so it really is a true blessing and honor."

Maynard, who was not a Boy Scout himself, said becoming involved in Scouting was one of the best decisions of his life. Now 85, Maynard remembers his first day as a volunteer.

“It was on Dec. 3, 1971,” Maynard said. “I was still in the Army at the time, and my son, Alex, who was an 8-year-old at the time, wanted to join. Two weeks after Alex joined, I went to a Pack meeting and I was asked to be a Cubmaster. That is the night I joined, and I never stopped.”

Bill Drake said he has earned the respect of the boys, and that helps him get his messages across. “Everyone looks up to him,” Drake said.

Eventually, Maynard had two sons, Alex and Chris, who enjoyed Scouting.

Retiring as an Army colonel, Maynard said his 37 years of military training came in handy. 

Maynard sees many similarities.

“You have squads and platoons in the Army, and you have dens and packs, in Scouting,” Maynard said. “No matter where you are in the military, you are part of a team. In Scouting, if you are a den leader you are part of a team. In the Army, whatever recognition I receive belongs to the team. Same thing in Scouting, I could not be successful without the team.”

Watching boys become men is a pure joy for Maynard. He said every age group requires a different teaching technique. Although the youngest levels require the most energy from him, he said it keeps him young.

He won't try to estimate how many boys he has helped over the year. He said there are simply too many.

“At age 12 to 16 you begin to see their mind change,” Maynard said. “Different things start to attract them, and I like that because I see that they now can model the things that I modeled for them.”

Being a good role model comes easy to Red Dog.

“I make sure that I don’t curse or drink alcohol," he said. "I eat good food and stay in good shape around them."

Maynard said it is becoming hard to keep up with the boys at 85, but he hopes to keep going.

“The day I can’t put my boots is the day I will retire,” he said. “This keeps me young and flexible. One week I might be working with an 8-year-old and two weeks later I’ll be sitting with a 15-year-old boy, teaching him how to develop an Eagle Scout service plan.”

Reineke, who was on the committee that developed the Lifetime of Service Award for Maynard, said volunteers could use him as a role model as well.

“The qualities that Red Dog encompasses is everything that the Boy Scouts of America is about,” Reinecke said. “The kids hang on to every word that he says. When you see the Cubs, they are sitting on the floor, eyes wide open, listening to all his stories. They are completely mesmerized by him, and I truly feel blessed that my son, Colin, had the opportunity to learn from Red Dog.”

Reinecke became involved in Scouting because of her son.

“I knew nothing about it and I fell in love with it,” Reinecke said. “I was my mom’s prissy daughter. So for me to be in a Boy Scout uniform and sleeping on the ground is crazy. But I did it to spend time with my son, and we both got to learn, together, about being in the outdoors.”

Her fondest memory was an 80-mile backpacking adventure with her son in New Mexico.

Maynard, though, said the Reineckes will continue to make Scouting memories because "Once a Boy Scout, always a Boy Scout."

"The Eagle trail never ends," he said.