The Grapevine City Council meeting Tuesday night was filled with uniformed Scouts. In the sea of fresh, young faces, one stood out: 87-year-old Ernie Doclar.
"Make way for the old fella," Doclar joked as he made his way to the council chambers through groups of teenage Scouts that gathered to honor him.
Scouting has changed over its 100-plus year history. Most recently, the name changed to Scouts BSA to allow girls to join the ranks. But Doclar has been a constant.
"I wasn't so into sports, so this was my big activity when I was a boy," Doclar explained about why he got into what was then called the Boy Scouts. "There were no video games then, had to make their own entertainment, so scouting was a novelty."
It stuck with Doclar, who has been involved with Scouts for 75 years, since 1943 when he was 12 years old. Doclar spent 38 years as a career Scout. On Tuesday, Grapevine Mayor William Tate declared June 5, 2018 "Ernie Doclar Day."
"I want to thank all my fellow Scout leaders," said Doclar, who hoped he could serve as an example to younger Scouts. "Persistence. I stuck with it this long because it's always been fun for me."
"It kind of inspires me, actually," said 14-year-old Scout Michael Milano. "That's pretty cool."
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
Doclar said he never would have thought he'd have his own "day" declared for doing something he loves. He has no plans to fold up the uniform.
"I'll stick with it as long as I'm alive," Doclar laughed.
