Houston Morgan, 95, received his eagle in 1947 and ever since has brought the principles and ideals of scouting to hundreds of scouts, explorers and venturers. He is a veteran of 13 Philmont Trips and one of the brightest lights in unit based scouting anywhere.

This former 34-year Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 177 Stow and Post Committee Chairman of Crew 2177 came to Troop One Akron in 1996 and has been a God send for the adults and youth of Troop One.

One thing Houston Morgan has done is carve Indian head neckerchief slides for all of his Eagle Scouts.  He learned from the ranger “Uncle Gene Crawford” at Manatoc Scout Reservation and been carving ever since. He presented the first to John Duckworth and recently presented to the 77th  Eagle from Troop One. Houston has been a valued mentor to so many youth and adults.  Scouting is richer because of him. By his own admission he has presented one Morgan Indian Head neckerchief slide to each Eagle Scout he has been involved with.  This numbers over 75 before coming to Troop One and 75 more at Troop One.  While the numbers may be approximate and will grow, what is clear is he has presented his carvings to over 150 Eagle Scouts!  Over 150 lives influenced by this generous man and the world is better for it. 

His father was one of the first scoutmasters in Akron Area Council and had 2 of the first 3 Eagles in the council in 1917. He has 3 generations of Eagles in his family. Following Houston was his son Howard Morgan and his grandson Ben Delaney from Troop One.

 A Tribute to Joe Mako, By Steve Myers

In the Spring of 1992, he helped forge the future of Troop One by meeting with a number of district volunteers and one district executive. The DE thought we should start our Troop at St Vincent’s Church and Joe was a member there. However, Joe had other ideas, with his former assistants, Len Schnetzer and Jim Cole, and close friend and commissioner Mike Vale (Troop One’s current unit commissioner), they made the decision to resurrect Troop One and later met with Pastor Ed Holland of First Baptist, and as they say, the rest was history. After a brief pause of a few years between Joe’s Troop and mine, Troop One roared back to life with 8 scouts, and Summer Camp was our first campout. In August, we went to Kelly’s Island, and in September, we stood on top of Seneca Rocks. Jerry Kitska brought his Webelos Den into the troop in February of 1993, and we were 16. The following year we had 32, and after that, 43 scouts. By year 6, we had over 60 scouts. Joe Mako championed us all the way. Joe was a frequent visitor to the troop and, for many years, acted as our unit commissioner, even though, at times, he was serving as an Assistant Council and then Council Commissioner, one of the key 3 in the council. He offered me a lot of advice over the years. I will always appreciate his visits to the troop and his mentorship. And I will miss our lunches. Joe was a force in the College of Commissioner Science making sure commissioners serving units in the council were well trained. He is part of the reason I got involved with the College as a Dean and later as an Assistant Council Commissioner. 

I was lucky. I had support from people like Joe Mako, Houston Morgan, and David Rice (who claims he was Troop One’s best unit commissioner ever!). With that support, I felt we could accomplish anything. A few of us sat around late last night and told a few Joe stories, some of which I had never heard. One statement stuck with me: Joe was mighty proud of Troop One. Like Houston Morgan, Joe was honored as an NESA Outstanding Eagle. Troop One is blessed that two of these Outstanding Eagles come from our “nest”
Joe’s son Tony was a Troop One Eagle (1980) and a scout of the year. So was Len Schnetzer’s son, an Eagle in 1976 and a Scout of the Year. Troops are built on legacy. The legacy Joe Mako leaves Troop One and the Great Trail Council should not be forgotten. Please keep Joe and his family in your prayers and ponder this obituary contributed by David Weyrick.

Joseph Mako – May 31, 1938 — July 27, 2024, Joseph “Joe” Mako, a cherished husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend, passed away peacefully on July 27, 2024. His presence will be deeply missed by all who know him. Born on May 31, 1938, to the late Joseph and May (Hopkins) Mako, Joe was a proud graduate of Garfield High
School, Class of 1956. Joe’s devotion to his family was unwavering. He married his beloved sweetheart, Rita (nee Bloomfield), and together they raised three children: Kim (Mike) Hancock, Tony Mako, and Cindy (Gary) Robinson. As a small business owner and a dedicated parishioner at St. Vincent Church, Joe’s community involvement was extensive.
Joe, a veteran scout, earned his Eagle Scout rank in 1953. He served as Scoutmaster for Troop 1 and held numerous positions within the Great Trail Council. He was honored to be appointed council commissioner and received the prestigious Silver Beaver Award. Additionally, Joe was awarded the St. George emblem for his exceptional service to the spiritual development of Catholic youth in the Boy Scouts of America program. Beyond his scouting commitments, Joe enjoyed bowling, fishing, and tending to his yard and
flowers. His memory will be forever treasured by his loving wife of 64 years, Rita; his children Kim, Tony, and Cindy; his granddaughters Brittany (Derek), Ashley, and Izzy; his sister Joan Long; and his many nieces, nephews, and cousins. 
May the Great Scoutmaster of us all be with the Mako family.