Stanleys pass on their passion for nature — and volunteerism — to future generations.
By Susan Thompson | Lake Panorama Times
Scott and Allison Stanley and their children, Blake and Alyssa, pose for a family photo with Lake Panorama as the backdrop.
Scott and Allison Stanley have lived at Lake Panorama since the fall of 2013. These Millennials are raising two children who are members of Generation Alpha, those born between 2011 and 2024. Generation Alphas are known for being digital natives, born into a world of technology, social media and screens.
Yet, from an early age, the couple made a concerted effort to introduce their children to the great outdoors. Those efforts have led to a family life filled less with technology and more with shared experiences that involve nature, volunteerism and outdoor activities.
Scott Stanley’s family moved to Panora in 1989 when he was 5 years old. He attended Panorama Schools from kindergarten through his senior graduation. Next up was a degree in finance earned at Iowa State University. He started working at Farmers State Bank in Yale in January 2009, was appointed president in March 2021, and had CEO added to his job title a year later.
Allison is the daughter of Doug and Deb Hemphill. Her family lived near Yale before moving to Lake Panorama in the fall of 1999. Allison attended Panorama from kindergarten through graduation, before earning a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and a Master of Occupational Therapy degree at St. Ambrose. She works two days each week at Blank Children’s hospital in Des Moines, and another two days at Timber Creek Therapies near Guthrie Center.
Alyssa Stanley was nearly 3 years old when this photo of her and a fish she caught was taken. It wasn’t long before Alyssa was her father’s fishing partner in the two-person bass fishing tournaments held on Lake Panorama each season.
The two met at Panorama where they attended homecoming together in 1998, and they have been together since. They celebrated their 20-year wedding anniversary this past July.
Alyssa Stanley is 14 years old and a freshman at Panorama this year. Blake Stanley is 10 years old and in the fourth grade.
Scott Stanley’s passion is spending time outdoors.
“I grew up in the non-techy times,” he says. “Riding my bike, playing with neighborhood friends and swimming are what I remember the most when I was Blake’s age. My dad got me involved in fishing at a young age. I was introduced to hunting when I was in high school, and my love of both took off from there.”
Once the Stanleys had children, Scott was eager to help them also develop a love of the outdoors.
“I started taking Alyssa and Blake fishing when they were young,” he says. “I always tried to make it a fun experience. If they wanted to leave, we would. If they wanted to try catching a frog or turtle, we would. When Alyssa was probably 4 or 5 years old, she was my partner in the bass fishing tournaments every Tuesday evening on Lake Panorama. When Blake reached that same age, he took over. It got to the point where he would ask every day to go fishing, hunting or do something outdoors.”
Alyssa Stanley volunteers at Timber Creek Therapies on Tuesday evenings as a side-walker for therapeutic riding groups. She walks beside the horses to support riders and interacts with the clients. One of the perks of volunteering at Timber Creek is getting to do some horseback riding yourself.
Allison Stanley applauds her husband’s efforts to introduce their children to the joys of being outdoors.
“I enjoy spending time outdoors. I like to walk and run. I have fond memories of fishing with my dad and my grandfather as a child. If I wasn’t catching any fish, my grandpa would tell me I wasn’t holding my mouth right,” she says. “Now, if I go fishing, I take a book along in case the fish aren’t biting. I’m happy our kids are learning to be adventurous and enjoy the outdoors.”
Blake’s biggest passions are fishing and hunting, just like his dad’s.
“He likes to hunt turkey, deer, pheasant and waterfowl,” Stanley says. “He also likes raccoon calling, hunting for deer antler sheds, open water fishing, ice fishing, morel mushroom hunting, and picking wild black raspberries.”
Blake is excited to start bass fishing tournaments next spring through Central Iowa Student Anglers. When asked if he prefers open water fishing or ice fishing, he quickly chooses the latter.
“I like ice fishing because you don’t get hot and sweaty,” he says.
Scott Stanley volunteers as a Panora Rec baseball team coach. Here he is coaching third base with his son, Blake Stanley, who is waiting for a chance to reach home plate.
Other sports also are of interest. Blake participates in organized basketball and baseball, and enjoys riding his bike, working outside and playing pickleball.
For Alyssa, sports are key. “
She participates in cross country, track, softball and basketball,” Scott says. “Sports take up a lot of her time in conjunction with year-round weight training. She enjoys the outdoors, just not the hunting side. She will go pheasant hunting with us. She doesn’t carry a gun, but she enjoys the walks. She still joins Blake and I when we go fishing.”
Alyssa also likes walking, hiking, playing pickleball, babysitting and baking. She and her mother also share a love of waterskiing.
“I slalom ski, and Alyssa is working on learning to slalom ski. She has mastered skiing on two skis and is anxious to get up on just one,” Allison says.
Outdoor activities are integrated into the family’s daily lives.
This past July, Scott and Allison Stanley and their children, Blake and Alyssa, attended three St. Louis Cardinals games over four days. Scott is a lifelong Cardinals fan, following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps. Now, the rest of his family also cheers for his favorite team.
“We have a family garden we all tend to,” Scott says. “We all fish, hike and like to have family picnics at our local parks and conservation areas. We like to walk sandbars and creeks to look for artifacts and cool rocks. We have quite a few bonfires at home, something I’ve taught Alyssa and Blake how to safely build.”
Helping others through volunteering is another family theme.
“The past couple years, we started trying to find ways to give back to people in the community,” Scott says. “Two years ago, after a large snow storm, we created an online post to see if anyone needed help scooping snow. After a lot of responses, we spent a full day snow blowing and shoveling out driveways. This summer after a major windstorm, we drove around the community and cleaned up seven yards, cutting up limbs and hauling to the brush dump.”
Alyssa and Blake enjoy volunteering at Timber Creek Therapies, where Allison works as an occupational therapist.
“Alyssa is a side-walker for the therapeutic riding groups on Tuesday evenings,” Allison says. “She does an amazing job walking beside the horses to support riders and is so good at interacting with the clients of all ages and abilities. Blake spends his volunteer time scooping out the horse stalls and interacting with all the animals.”
Alyssa and Blake Stanley enjoy tubing on Lake Panorama.
Allison also enjoys volunteer work through Lutheran Church of Hope Panora, guiding the youth ministries for both junior high and high school students on Wednesday evenings and for elementary age students during HopeKids on Sunday mornings. She also enjoys volunteering at Panorama events including track and cross country meets.
For four years, Scott volunteered as a softball coach when Alyssa was playing on a Panora Rec League team.
“I still coach one of the league baseball teams at Blake’s level,” he says. “I started volunteer coaching Blake’s rec league basketball team last year and will again this winter.”
Scott also serves on the Guthrie County Conservation Board and the Lake Panorama Fin and Feather committee.
A deep sea fishing trip was part of a January 2023 family vacation to Hawaii. Family members shown top to bottom are Scott and Blake Stanley, Doug Hemphill and Bill Birch. Visible near the side of the boat is the 500-pound marlin that took the bait on a rod behind the boat. Scott had the privilege of reeling it in. It took 30 minutes to get the giant fish up to the boat.
A kid’s fishing derby as part of the annual Panorama Days celebration was first held in 2014. Scott Stanley and several other volunteers helped with the event with about 35 kids participating.
“Originally, Fin and Feather wasn’t involved with the kid’s fishing derby,” Stanley says. “I brought the idea to sponsor the 2015 event to the committee, and we’ve done it ever since. For our 12th annual derby this year, we had a record turnout of 114 kids with ages ranging from 3-13. The event has grown every year since inception except for one year when it was rainy weather.”
Scott says Blake likes to help him shop for the prizes distributed at the fishing derby.
“We had $2,300 in prizes, trophies and cash prizes this year,” he says. “Just like any activity for a kiddo, you must make it fun, so they relate with the experience and want to do it again. The parents just have to bring their kids and fishing poles. The rest is on us as we provide cookies, water, bait, prizes. Once the child catches a fish, there are committee members assisting with taking the fish off and filling out their colored index card.”
Stanley says fishing encourages kids to spend time outside, away from screens, and helps build respect and care for the environment.
“Some days it can require patience and persistence, and they can learn delayed gratification, which is an important life skill,” he says. “It builds confidence and independence and provides a sense of achievement when learning how to cast, tie their own knots or, better yet, catch a fish.
Hunting morel mushrooms is one of the many outdoor activities Blake Stanley enjoys. He found these two in April 2024.
“Fishing isn’t just about catching fish,” Stanley continues. “It’s about creating meaningful outdoor experiences that shape kids’ character and builds life lessons. Nothing beats seeing a child’s reaction, excitement and smile from ear to ear when catching a fish.”
Whether for his own two children, or the children of others, Scott Stanley is committed to helping young people develop a love of the outdoors.
“Getting kids outdoors and fishing and hunting has a lot of value, both immediate and long-term,” he says. “The connection with nature is tough to beat. There is just something about being outdoors that is very hard to explain. The beauty, stress-free environment and enjoying God’s creations are driving factors that continue to fuel my outdoor passions.”
Those of you who were watching TV sitcoms in the 1970s may recall an episode of “Happy Days” (it was season 3, episode 11, to be exact) when Fonzie was on an outdoors adventure with his pals and decided to sleep outside. As he settled down with his head calmly resting against a log, an owl started to hoot, frogs croaked and squirrels scurried, all creating a unified orchestra of animal sounds. Fonzie slowly sat up, threw his arms out and yelled, “Cool it!” Complete silence ensued, followed by the Fonz boasting, “Let’s see Tarzan do that.” 
