Call Number:

13

Repository:

Lower Merion Historical Society

Extent:

0.4 linear feet

Language:

English

Date:

1941-1998 (inclusive)

Creator:

Boy Scouts of America. Troop 16 (Bala-Cynwyd, Pa.).

Abstract:

By some accounts, the Boy Scout troop in Bala, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania is the oldest in the country. Formed in 1908, it was officially inducted into the Boy Scouts of America in 1911 as Troop 16. Troop Bala One photographs, 1941-1998, depict the troop at various events, primarily the 50th anniversary celebration in 1961. The collection also includes photocopies of Boy Scout ephemera.

"Troop Bala One has a long and glorious tradition in both the Boy Scout movement and the Lower Merion community. In 1907, General Robert Baden-Powell, an English Army officer, took a group of lads to Brownsea Island, England. This was the first Boy Scout Camp. In 1908, he wrote a book called Scouting for Boys which had an international, instantaneous impact. Troops and patrols sprung up in England and, shortly thereafter, in Europe.

"The Boy Scout movement was slower to transition to the United States, except in the tiny town of Bala, Pennsylvania. Here, in 1908, a group of community leaders, headed by insurance executive Frank Sykes, organized America's first group of boys under the principles of scouting as set forth in Baden-Powell's book. Troop Bala One thus became the first unofficial Boy Scout troop in the U.S.

"The national umbrella organization, The Boy Scouts of America, was officially organized in February 1910. The following year, Troop Bala One was officially inducted with the alternate name of Troop 16. At that time, President William H. Taft was Honorary President of the Boy Scouts of America and former President Theodore Roosevelt was Honorary VP."

As of 2011, the troop was still active.

Bibliography:

The Lower Merion Historical Society. The First 300: The Amazing and Rich History of Lower Merion. Ardmore, Pa.: The Lower Merion Historical Society, 2000. Accessed October 28, 2011. http://www.lowermerionhistory.org/texts/first300/part24.html

This collection is made up of photographs of the troop at various events, primarily the 50th anniversary celebration in 1961. The collection also includes photocopies of Boy Scouts ephemera.