Dave Hofer, long-time scout leader in Kendall, honored by council

Hofer, currently battling pancreatic cancer, has been scouting volunteer for 30 years

Provided photos

KENDALL – Dave Hofer is presented with the Silver Beaver Award and also the District Award of Merit from Jess Merkel, a representative of the Western New York Scout Council.

The awards were presented on Friday at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, where Hofer had been for five weeks receiving care for stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Hofer is now home in Kendall.

He has volunteered with scouts for 30 years, including as scoutmaster for Troop 94 in Kendall. He has helped the former Iroquois Trail Council for many years with its camps at Camp Dittmer in Phelps and Camp Sam Wood in Portageville.

The Silver Beaver Award is a top award from a council given to a scouter who has made an impact on the lives of youth through service given to the council.

Hofer’s experience in scouts helped him learn the discipline and kindness that are hallmarks of his life, his wife Judy said.

Hofer was working at Kodak and running a machine shop on the side before he fully committed to the machine shop. Since 1993, he has owned and operated DMD Machining Technology in Kendall.

He has made time available to help teach and lead scouts. He has served as director of the Webelos Conservation Camp and a member of the Council Camping Committee, in addition to an active role with Troop 94.

He attended the Philmont Scout Ranch with his son Matt. Philmont, in the Rocky Mountains, is a high-adventure base of rugged mountain wilderness in northeastern New Mexico.

“Everything he’s learned from Boy Scouts he has used along the way,” Judy said. “Even on family camps we have to make sure everything is picked up better than when we arrived.”

The honors for Hofer were already in the works before his illness. Judy said the recognition is appreciated.

“He is an overall an amazing person,” she said. “He has such a great mindset.”

Dave Hofer is pictured with his son Matt and daughter Jessica. Matt and Jessica are both currently running the machine shop.

Hofer, 60, is a person who seldom has been sick and always persevered. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in early November. He is now home on hospice care.

His wife Judy said the family appreciates the recognition from the scouting council, even though Hofer has always been glad to help scouts with no accolades expected.

Ken Spohr in 2007 joined the troop as a leader. At the time Hofer was the scoutmaster. Spohr said Hofer has always been willing to step up and help the troop, especially with camping.

“He was always the one to take all the gear in his truck with a group of boys and away we would go,” Spohr wrote in a letter to the Western New York Scout Council, nominating Hofer for the District Award of Merit. “Camp is where I saw Dave shine, he loved to do projects at camp and would often supply the materials himself. Over the years I cannot tell you how many projects he has done or helped with, but it is a great deal.”

Spohr said Hofer never sought any limelight. Hofer convinced Spohr to eventually take over as scoutmaster, with Hofer staying on as assistant scoutmaster.

“Dave has been the best assistant a person could ask for,” Spohr wrote in the nomination. “He is always there to help and is always willing to do whatever needs to be done. His knowledge of scouting and camping is incredible.”

Hofer lives the Scout Law of being trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.

Hofer has encouraged scouts to push themselves to be their best, and to become members of the Order of the Arrow, scouting’s national honor society.

In  more recent years Hofer worked with the council to improve the scouting camps, and how Webelos can better transition from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts.

“This is who Dave Hofer is to me,” Spohr wrote to the council. “He’s the guy in the room who can teach scouts something without them knowing it and never looking for praise. He is always willing to help in any way and he lives his life by the Scout Law. He will always be a friend and an inspiration to me and Kendall Boy Scout Troop 94.”

Tammy Odenbaugh from the Baltimore Area Council in Maryland also sent a letter of support to the council urging Hofer to be honored with the District Award of Merit. She twice worked with Hofer at a scouting jamboree. She praised him for his dedication, patience and knowledge. Hofer was committed to all scouts, even setting up an archery stand for disabled scouts at a jamboree.

“Dave has given so much of his time not only to scouts in the area, but he has given his knowledge and even more time to scouts globally and nationally as well,” Odenbaugh said.

A GoFundMe page (click here) has been set up to help Hofer and his family.