Mary Anne McFarland, a lifelong Pennsauken resident, has received the Life Achievement Award from the White Horse District of the Boy Scouts of America, which serves all of Camden County, NJ, as well as its 37 municipalities.

McFarland has served the Scouting program in Pennsauken for 26 years, starting when her son, Jameson, was in first grade. Mary Anne first became a Tiger Cub parent with Pack 116, and then followed Jameson through the Cub Scout ranks, serving as a den leader for Wolf, Bear, and Webelos ranks. McFarland was then asked to take over as Pack Committee Chairman when Jameson reached fourth grade; she remained in that role for four years, even after her son graduated into Boy Scouts.

During her time in the Cub Scout Pack, McFarland began to attend Roundtables, a monthly meeting that provides supplemental training for unit leaders, as well as topic guidance and structure suggestions for Scout events. It was at these Roundtables where she met members of the Cooper District Committee, volunteers who act as liaisons between the Boy Scout Council and the Boy Scout Troops and Cub Scout Packs for the northwest side of Camden County. She was asked to become Cub Activities Chairman and served in that position for three years. She then served as District Vice Chairman, a job she held for five years. Following that, Mary Anne assumed the role of District Commissioner, who along with the District Chairman, and District Executive, is responsible for the running of the District.

After her term as Commissioner ended, McFarland stayed on the District Committee as Membership Chairman of the newly formed White Horse District, which was the combination of Camden County’s Cooper and Big Timber Districts. She also returned to her roots and resumed her prior role of Committee Chairman for Cub Scout Pack 116, a job she still holds today. Mary Anne also has served as Cub Summer Day Camp Director at Pine Hill Scout Reservation for a year and Program Director for the summer camp for three years.

In addition, McFarland helped to found Boy Scout Troop 7, chartered by the Pennsauken Lions Club. When Troop 7 and Troop 118 merged three years ago, she assumed the role of Troop Committee Chairman until September of last year. She still serves as a committee member of the Troop.

Once asked why she chooses to stay with Scouting after her son earned Eagle Scout, she replied, “There are more boys following him that need my help.”

“Cub Scouts is the ground floor,” added McFarland. “You get wild little boys and teach them to say the Pledge of Allegiance properly, learn respect, patriotism, and community service. Hopefully, we give them the skills to be good, decent men. What better volunteer job could there be?”