Gazette photo by Kris Janisch From left: David Denn, John Andrews, Jeff Sulzbach, Ron Phillippo, Art Marty and Jim Schwieger toast Marty on his 40 years as ranger at the Fred C. Andersen Scout Camp about 5 miles northeast of Stillwater.

If you're a Scout from the St. Croix Valley, chances are you know Art Marty.

And Marty, 64, the ranger at the Fred C. Andersen Scout Camp, probably knows you, too.

"If he meets you once, you can come back four, five, six years later and he'll remember you," said David Denn, a friend who joined a handful of others from the BSA's Northern Star Council at a celebration Jan. 10.

The group gathered at the Dock Caf/ in Stillwater to congratulate Marty on 40 years as the camp's ranger, which began Jan. 10, 1968. A friend told him to apply for the job, which hadn't been posted, "and the rest is history," Marty said.

The camp, about 5 miles northeast of Stillwater in Houlton, Wis., has grown and changed plenty since Marty started checking in campers, maintaining the grounds and working with the thousands of Scouts, students and others who come through each year.

"But dealing with Scouts and scouters, that hasn't changed," he said.

Marty and his wife, Patsy, live in the ranger's house near the entrance to the campgrounds, which also include 18 cabins on its 260 acres. Scouts have come from as far as Texas and Canada to enjoy the camp, and they all receive Marty's trademark welcome.

"For the last 40 years Art has greeted and put smiles on thousands of people's faces," said Jim Schwieger, director of camping for the Northern Star Council, which oversees Scouting activities in 25 counties in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Funded entirely from private and corporate contributions, the camp started about 80 years ago with a donation from the St. Paul Rotary, said Ron Phillippo, a former Northern Star Scout executive. In the mid-1960s, Fred C. Andersen visited the camp, saw the need for improvements, and said, "Make it happen," Phillippo recalled. The camp, which used to be called the St. Croix River Camp, was renamed for the late Andersen at a meeting he didn't attend.

But because of Marty's ubiquitous involvement with the camp over the years, kids often thought he was Fred C. Andersen, said Denn, who credited Marty with his decision to become ranger at the Kiwanis Scout Camp in Marine on St. Croix.

"The key thing about Art is, he's a gentleman," Denn said. "He's always got a kind word and a handshake for everybody."

Marty's work in the community isn't limited to the Scout camp - for the past dozen years he and his wife have offered pre-marital counseling for couples through St. Michael's Church, where he and Patsy are active members.

At the Dock Caf/ on Thursday, friends and colleagues took turns recounting stories about Marty.

Jeff Sulzbach, who worked at the camp as a 16-year-old, said Marty leads by example to keep the grounds "pristine." Sulzbach recalled cleaning up one day several years ago and reporting to Marty that things looked good.

"Then Art would come through and tell you it needed to be picked up again. He'd spot stuff as big as your fingernail," Sulzbach said. "It would drive you crazy."

Schwieger, another one of the group who worked at the camp, lamented Marty's getting up at 4:30 a.m. every morning.

"He would come down (to the cabins) and wake everybody up at 6 a.m.," Schwieger said. "To him, it was midday."

But mostly, they simply praised Marty for his dedication to the Fred C. Andersen Scout Camp.

"It really is a paradise for kids, the river, the bluffs, cabins, woods, archery, BB range," friend Jeff Sulzbach said. "Where kids can get lost in a very safe place."

Echoed Denn: "A place for kids to be kids, like you read about in classic novels."

Thursday was the second time Marty has been recognized for his work at the camp. At the 25-year mark he was presented with a rocking chair. Not that he'd need it, the way friends described Marty's boundless energy and enthusiasm.

"He really is a gem," Phillippo said.

Northstar Scout Executive John Andrews said: "I've never met anybody that didn't like him, that didn't have something nice to say."

For more information visit www.northernstarbsa.org/Camping/Facilities/FredCAndersen/.