A little Oklahoma Scouting History

[RememberSchiff]

http://newsok.com/article/5556322

Short but interesting article.

  - 1909,  the first OK Boy Scout troop was formed under a British charter as the BSA did not exist yet.

  - 1931,  "Oklahoma had approximately six hundred Boy Scout troops including twenty-three African American troops and one Hispanic troop..."

  - 1932,  "First Boy Scout Mounted Troop Is Organized." see link above for details.

Edited September 18, 2019 by RememberSchiff

[TAHAWK]

I was reading an account of the serial murders of Osages (to get their oil "head rights") in the 1920's, and the author mentioned Pawhuska Troop 1 and its claim to be the "first troop in America."  Certainly very early.  

[RememberSchiff]

There's "first troop in America" and "first BSA troop" and ... likely only SM had a handbook.

[TAHAWK]

Sure could be first BSA troop if up and running in 1909.    Just needed to win the race to charter over all the other 1908 and 1909 troops.  At least 22 1908 troops in what became the Greater Cleveland District (Councils came later, along with "executives.")   

[RememberSchiff]

Update 9/18/2019: 

On Sept. 28, a Boy Scout Troop formed in Pawhuska, OK and chartered under the Boy Scouts organization in England, marks 110 years.

At its Aug. 13 meeting, the Pawhuska City Council voted to declare Sept. 28 as a Day of Celebration in honor of this first troop.

The celebration begins on Sept. 28 with a parade in downtown Pawhuska at 10 a.m. followed by a reception for the 96 Eagle Scouts from Pawhuska at the Pawhuska Community Center at 520 Lynn Ave.

Troop 1 in Pawhuska had 22 members and was founded by the Rev. John Forbes Mitchell in 1909.

“The story goes that when the Reverend came from England to Osage County on a mission trip, he sent back communication to England ... that there were some boys who were a little unruly. The response that came back to him was ‘start a Scout Troop.’ So, before there was the Boy Scouts of America, we had scouting right here,” Cherokee Council Scout Executive Philip Mba Wright said.

The next year, in 1910, The Boy Scouts of America was founded. Thereafter, the troop in Pawhuska became Troop 30 under the Boy Scouts of America charter. Later, Troop 43 in Pawhuska was also chartered under the Boy Scouts of America.

More details at source: 

https://www.miamiok.com/news/20190918/first-boy-scout-troop-in-america-celebrates-110-years