For 40 years, the Maybrook Troop 236 Scout Band marched at the heart of this community, its songs woven into the rhythm of village life. On Sunday night, as the Village of Maybrook closed out its centennial year with its traditional holiday tree lighting, the band lifted its instruments one final time. The moment was bittersweet: a celebration of all the band has given us, paired with the knowledge that the troop will disband at the end of the year.

Four decades is a long time for any community program to endure. But the longevity of the Maybrook Scout Band was no accident. It was built on dedication, fueled by pride, and sustained by a leader whose service to Maybrook spans generations: James “Jim” Barnett.

The Scout Band was never just a collection of young musicians ages 10 through 17. It was a training ground in discipline, teamwork and leadership. It represented Maybrook across the region and beyond — from the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City to parades in Washington, D.C., Sandusky, Ohio, and festivals from Ellenville to Highland Falls. It even carried the village’s spirit to the gates of Disney World through the Disney Performing Arts program. When the band marched in Maybrook’s own centennial parade this past July, it was a reminder of the pride they have brought home year after year.

Behind all of this stood Barnett, who founded the Scout Band and spent nearly 40 years shaping it into an award-winning institution. His leadership didn’t come from a podium alone — it came from a lifetime of service to Maybrook. Since 1975, Barnett has worn just about every hat a community can offer: police officer and Officer-in-Charge, firefighter, planning board member, zoning board of appeals member, Scoutmaster, band leader, religious education teacher, Little League coach, village trustee and deputy mayor. In March, when he attended his final meeting as a trustee, the room rose for him — a standing ovation decades in the making.

Even as the band traveled the country, the stories that endured most were about the young people Barnett mentored. He guided 79 Boy Scouts to the rank of Eagle Scout, instilling values that stretched well beyond uniforms and merit badges. “It’s been a delight to work with those young people over all these years,” he said. “I would like to think that that’s one of the joys of my life.”

Those words say as much about Barnett as any plaque or proclamation. They remind us that leadership is not measured only by the offices one holds but by the lives one touches.

Last year, when the troop traded its usual performance schedule for an eight-day vacation to Disney World — flying, for once, instead of traveling by bus — Barnett noted how wonderful it felt to simply enjoy time with the Scouts. It was, in hindsight, a fitting capstone for a man who dedicated so much of himself to Maybrook’s youth.

As Troop 236’s Scout Band plays its final notes, we do not just mark the end of a program. We celebrate a legacy — of music, of mentorship, of community. And we offer our deepest gratitude to Jim Barnett, whose service has become part of Maybrook’s identity.

The echoes of the Scout Band will fade, as all good things eventually do. But the impact of its leader, and the generations he inspired, will continue to resonate — steady and strong, like a drumbeat carrying through time.

Maybrook truly is, as Barnett himself said, “a great place to live.” It is even greater because of him.