Dr. Robert Bruner is known in the Gainesville community as a dentist by trade, but he's also known for his legacy of leadership with Boy Scout Troop 16 at Gainesville First United Methodist Church.
However, Bruner has decided it's time to take a step back.
"It's time to let someone with new ideas and new energy to come in," he said on WDUN's Newsroom Friday. "We've got a great successor, Mike Barnes, who has been an Assistant Scout Master for six years. Dedicated, very capable. Time to let somebody else take over."
Bruner won't be quitting the job cold turkey, though.
"I'm still involved," said Bruner. "I am now a member of the Troop Committee and I still drive the Scout Bus, and will be participating in come camp outs I'm sure, special programs."
Bruner began as Assistant Scout Master in 1986, and became Head Scout Master in 1989. He estimates he's seen upwards of 250 scouts attain Eagle Scout, the highest scout ranking.
"My oldest son needed some Scout Masters, all the Scout Masters retired back in '86, and he and the other scouts needed some adult leadership, so three of us decided we'd give it a try - Matt Handcock and David Merck and I," said Bruner, adding that he was the only one of the three who had not been a scout before. "So I had no idea what I was getting in to."
His oldest son attained Eagle status, and as his younger son was finishing up, Bruner tried to decide if he would leave as his son finished or stay.
"I was so impressed with the scouting program and what it could do for young men, I decided to stay for a while."
Bruner said one of his favorite memories as Scout Master is that of a transformation. A young man came into the troop nervous, lacking confidence, and "kind of hung around the edges."
"Just was a real spectator and not involved at all. Because some older scouts saw that and decided, 'we need to get involved, he needs somebody to be his big brother,' he began to gain self-confidence and developed very nicely and has been the senior patrol leader, the head scout leader for the last six months," Bruner said. "That's the kind of experience I've enjoyed most."
You can hear Bruner's full interview with Mitch Clarke on WDUN's Newsroom by clicking the play button above.
