Re: First Boy Scout Troop, USA
(no name) ((no email))
Fri, 12 Jul 1996 12:47:09 -0500
See Jessiann, *this* is why I keep EVERYTHING and don't want
any of it thrown away for ANY REASON!! *wink*
Of course, I used all of my regular resources this morning to find
the answer to this question, and there's only ONE answer
(stated with a lot of tongue-in-cheek): There isn't a "first Troop
officially".
When the BSA was in its infancy, there were several other "Boy
Scouting-type" organizations that quickly transformed their
existing groups to Boy Scout troops after the announcement in
1909 of the "development of a Committee to Investigate the
Organization of the Boy Scouts of America."
My primary "BSA history book", "The History of the Boy Scouts
of America", by William Murray states that "There is no thought
here of dealing with the difficult problem of priority, the problem
of which Troops were first. This chapter (Chapter 11) merely
quotes a few instances from the histories made available by
Councils which had studied the history of their own beginnings --
to show that troops preceded Councils quite generally, and
indeed let to the neccessity for Local Councils. Then, as now,
the Council was a device to aid and further the activities of the
Troops operated by the sponsoring institutions."
He goes onward to give a few examples of "the first Troops"
in the nation, which includes a troop in Montclair, New
Jersey in 1909; the Genesee YMCA Troop in Buffalo in 1909;
Troop 2 and others in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1910; Troop 1
in Columbus, Ohio in 1910; and this bit of trivial trival:
"Deputy Commissioner Roy Zoeller, then of Carrick, PA., and
later of Johnstown, PA., in 1908 organized a Troop of
Scouts among the officers' sons at Fort Leavenworth,
Kansas, and received a (Scouting leadership) commission
*directly from London -- years before the Leavenworth area
had a Council."
But I *already knew the answer* to the "first Troop in the
nation" question before I started to look!
An old girlfriend of mine, Georgia Mae Issacs, whom at the
time was working for a healthcare organization in Somerset,
Kentucky, sent me a postcard in 1981 from Burnside,
Kentucky. Of course I kept the card because it came from
her, but more importantly because of the content of the
card. Here's what she said and here's what the front
of the card stated:
"How impulsive! I'm at the Seven Gables Dining Room in
Burnside, Kentucky. Just couldn't resist another
opportunity to say Hi and Happy Day! and of course,
wouldn't you know I'd have to pick something to do with
Scouting! Happy Day!! GM"
The historical marker reads:
"FIRST BOY SCOUT TROOP"
"Before Boy Scouts of America was organized, 1910, a Troop
of 15 had been formed here, spring of 1908, by Mrs. Myra
Greeno Bass. Using the official handbook of English
scouting, she guided them hiking and camping, like scouting
today. Known as Eagle Troop, Horace Smith was troop
leader. Insignia was a red bandanna around neck. Reputed
the first American Boy Scout Troop."
How about that!?! Perhaps the first Troop in the nation and
without a doubt the first one led by a female Scouter!
See, Jessiann....yet another reason why Kentucky is SOOOOO
GREAT!! *hehehehee*
Settummanque!
(MAJ) Mike L. Walton (Settummanque, the blackeagle) (
co-Owner, Blackeagle Services of Kentucky (502.826.7046) __)_
174 Chapelwood Drive, Henderson, Kentucky 42420-5036 | ** |]
(H) 502.827.9201 (F) 502.826.7046 (W) 888.284.4848 (yea!) coffee?
anytime!
(Email) blkeagle@midwest.net/kyblkeagle@AOL.COM
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