To the editor:
Mark Cardwell delivers as a leader. I saw it firsthand in his decade of service to Pelham Scouts.
Cardwell’s quiet brand of servant leadership helped so many boys grow into men in this community. I can’t count the number of campouts and troop meetings where his calm hand allowed the boys to test themselves, make mistakes and learn. He was one of those few adults who would spend the weekend—away from his family, sometimes without his son—because he was so committed to the Scouts of Pelham.
His calm stood out to me when the boys took the wrong way down a path during the week-long Philmont Scout Ranch High Adventure backpacking trip. We were all exhausted from hiking for days, but he knew the way for the boys to grow was to make their own mistakes. No doubt the many hours he’d devoted to comprehensive training to be an adult Scout leader, as well as his background as an Eagle Scout, contributed to his (and our) confidence that day.
But what impressed me on that trip even more than his outdoor skills was what happened as we returned from the trip, when summer storms caused massive travel delays for the two dozen boys (and adults) trying to get home. When our plane was delayed getting out of Colorado, the airline told us we would miss our connecting flight. Since it was peak season, we wouldn’t get the boys home for several days. Cardwell did not, would not, could not accept this. He worked the phones for hours, talking to everybody possible at the airline to get our guys home. He would not quit.
As we landed in Houston, the captain came on the PA system and told the plane, “Folks, we’ve got a special group of Boy Scouts onboard, and we are holding a plane for them, so please let them off first.” Smiles ensued as we sprinted across the airport and made our flight home.
This persistence, this commitment and this dedication to service are what we need in village government. We would be lucky to have him on the board of trustees; I know we were lucky to have him as a leader for Pelham Scouts.
I strongly endorse Mark Cardwell for Village of Pelham Manor trustee.
Jamie Hupprich
435 Stellar Ave.
