THE CHESTER COUNTY COUNCIL, BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA

1919 - 1994

THE SCOUTING TRAIL

This is the trail that the Scout shall know
Where knightly qualities thrive and grow;
The trail of honor and truth and worth
And the strength that springs from the good brown earth;
The trail that Scouts, in their seeking, blaze
Through the toughest tangle, the deepest maze,
Till out of Boyhood the Scout comes straight
t o Manhood's splendid and high estate!

- by Berton Braley

The adventure of Scouting!...The fellowship of Scouting!...The fun of Scouting! Any one or all of these might describe why a boy is attracted to the Scouting Trail. Whatever it may be, the Scouting Movement has attracted millions of young people to that Trail for more than four generations and today is the largest youth organization in the world.

EARLY BEGINNINGS

As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Chester County Council, Boy Scouts of America and review its events, its leaders, its boys and the record that makes it one of the top Scout Councils in America today, we also take note that our successes are but a base upon which we must build to better serve our youth of future generations. As our founding fathers had a vision for the young people in our Council, we too must have a similar vision to carry forward to the future.

The Scouting Movement, inspired by its founder and leader, Robert S. S. Baden-Powell, began as an experiment in England in July, 1907 at a camp on Brownsea Island. Later, that moment in a fog enshrouded London night when a traveler seeking directions encountered an unknown young Boy Scout, who would not accept money for doing a "Good Turn," became the trailhead for Scouting in America. Inspired by that Good Turn, the concept of Scouting was brought to the United States in 1909 by publisher William D. Boyce whose visit to England that foggy night first attracted him to the Movement. The trail became a reality when Boyce filed incorporation papers for the Boy Scouts of America on February 8, 1910 in the District of Columbia.

The foundation for our Council's Scouting Trail was built as the "great war to end all wars", World War I, was coming to a close. The efforts of the Scouts during the war in selling Liberty Loan bonds, war stamps and serving in other capacities to support the patriotic national cause, had brought considerable favorable recognition to our nation's youth. By 1918, Scouting in our nation had grown with its membership reaching over 400,000 boys. Inspired by Scouting's success, attention turned to the delivery of Scouting programs to rural communities. Chester County at this time was predominantly an agriculture-based economy. It became one of those selected to bring together existing individual troops and to develop new troops under the aegis of a council of prominent community leaders in Chester County as well as a neighboring part of Cecil County, Maryland.

It is to be noted that before the formation of our Council, as we know it today, Scout troops were springing up in numerous communities throughout the nation including Chester County. As troops were formed in a community, they assumed the identity of the community and the number corresponding to the order in which they were formed in that community. So it was in Chester County.

Many Scout troops have laid claim to being the first Scout troop to be organized in the nation and several are mentioned to have been in Chester County. A Phoenixville troop that was formed in 1907, the same year as Boy Scouting in England, was referred to in a Phoenixville newspaper article as the first in Pennsylvania. Since the National Scout Council was not formed until 1910 and this troop existed for only a number of years, it is impossible to verify this claim. However, it is documented that Paoli Troop 1 was formed in 1911 and registered with the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America in March, 1911. Paoli Troop 1 has been continuously registered until the present day.

Paoli Troop 1 was founded by Reverend Horace A. Walton and sponsored by the Church of the Good Samaritan of Paoli. He was the Troop's first Scoutmaster. According to the Troop's later research, there were only five other troops in the United States formed that were organized and registered earlier with the National Council, BSA. Paoli Troop 1, in 1994, is sponsored by a Group of Citizens and has been relocated to the community of Wayne.

Other troops sprung to life in this early period before the existence of the Council. Troops were organized in Downingtown, Avondale, Berwyn, Cochranville, Phoenixville, Spring City, West Chester and other communities in the County prior to the Council being chartered.

Further evidence of early Scouting in Chester County is in the form of an original document given the Council in the 1980's by then Scoutmaster Elwood "Ossie" Spellman of Troop 6 of West Chester. The document issued December 10, 1910 by the National Scout Council certified what is believed to be the first Scoutmaster in Chester County. It commissioned Henry B. Coleman as Scoutmaster of Troop 1 of West Chester which eventually became Troop 6. This would have made Henry Coleman one of the first of a handful of men to be so commisioned for this position in the United States.

It is interesting to note the article in the Phoenixville Daily Republican newspaper of October 3, 1938 that describes that the Scout Troop formed in Phoenixville in March, 1907. This unit was started by Captain Ralph D. Kluge upon his return from England where he had seen first hand the Scouting organization with its emphasis on outdoor skills and healthy fundamentals. Captain Kluge, who had died in an automobile accident in 1937, claimed that the Phoenixville troop was the "first Pennsylvania Scout Troop." The article reads:

"Captain Kluge, who served in the United States Army Reserves, organized the first troop in 1907 after he returned from a visit to London, England where the Scout idea was originated by Baden-Powell.

He contacted Charles Oberholtzer, of Mont Clare, a member of St. Peter's Episcopal Church, who became the first Scout. Assisted by Rev. H. C. Hartshorne, then rector of St. Peter's Church, Captain Kluge organized the troop, secured uniforms from the proceeds of a strawberry festival and later divided the troop into two units, the "Reds" captained by Oberholtzer, and the "Blues" led by Roger Whitaker.

The Phoenixville troop, the next summer, was given the honor of the first in line during a huge Scout parade in Philadelphia. The troop functioned for several years and later created a keen rivalry with another troop sponsored by the Methodist Episcopal Church, led by Captain Futcher.

Oberholtzer, the first Scout in this borough, became Scoutmaster, entered Haverford College and later went overseas during the World War, serving with the Ace Hospital unit."

Council's records are non-existent prior to 1919. It is unknown if the troop had written documentation of its registration with the National Council, having been formed before the latter one's existence. Also, there is no record of the troop in the official Chester County Council Yearbook of 1919 activities and Scout units.

Paoli Troop 1 prospered from its inception. It had an appealing Scout Program, strong male leadership and the support of an active Troop Committee. Paoli Troop 1's F. Wayne Reed, Jr. became the first Eagle Scout in Chester County in 1917. He was a member of Paoli Troop 1. Late in the 1980's Mr. Reed returned to Chester County and attended a number of Scouting events, one of which was the Council Recognition Dinner in 1989. He was there in full (present day) uniform and received a standing ovation from those present. He since has passed away. In 1918, four other Paoli 1 Scouts achieved Eagle: Arthur N. Ferry, Theodore K. Ferry, G. Franklin Good and Albert Groff.

Living in an age of high technology and rapid transportation as we do in 1994, one can only imagine how some of our earlier Scouts travelled to get to and from their troop meetings in the early days. There were few automobiles and a Scout had to travel under his own footpower. There are many stories that have grown up about Scouting in those years. A number of them have been related by 75-year plus veteran Scouter Francis Maule, a Scout in 1915 in Cochranville Troop 1, who passed away several years prior to this history being written. Rob McCarter, Curator of Scouting memorabilia in the Council, cites a story related to him about Francis Maule by his close Scouter friend, Dr. Agnew "Hank" Ewing of West Grove:

"Francis Maule joined Scouting in 1915 and loved Scouting. He used to tell (Ewing) about his experiences getting to Scout meetings in those early days living in what was then considered the remote part of Southern Chester County. Francis lived in Russelville and was a member of the Cochranville Troop 1. To get to Scout meetings in Cochranville four miles away from his home, Francis would walk, bycicle or ride horseback to faithfully get to them. Some times after the meeting, it would be dark and Francis would have to ride his horse home with just a light from a farmhouse here or there to guide his way...passing woods along the way in the dark was especially scary and Francis said he would whistle and sing most of the way home."

Malvern Troop 1 was also organized before the Council was chartered. In 1916, this troop began to hold meetings with its Scoutmaster John Richardson. In 1994, Troop 7 is still registered and meets at its cabin next to the Revolutionary War Paoli Massacre site in Malvern.

There were numerous meetings to discuss the forming of the Council. It is said that these initial meetings were held at the Slack automobile agency garage on High Street in West Chester. An article written by Arthur A. Schuck, the Council's first Scout Executive, in the Council's Year Book of 1920, recounts the key meeting that resulted in the Council's formation:

"Prior to the organization of the Chester County Council, Boy Scouts of America, there were 19 troops in the county. Realizing the value of systematically coordinating the work and activities of existing troops and the possibility of extending the movement into unorganized territories, ... men met in West Chester with National Field Scout Commissioner H. M. Butler, on December 18th, 1918."

From this meeting the final steps were taken for the granting of the Charter by the National Scout office to the Chester County Council. Norris B. Slack was elected President; Treasurer W. C. Pugh; and Frank H. Kramer, Secretary. Clifton Lisle was elected to the Vice presidency of the Council and assigned the job of Chairman of the Organization Department. The other Vice Presidents were Lewis K. Stubbs for Finance; Thomas A. Bock for Court of Honor; and, H. A. Walton for Camping and Activities.

The National Council of the Boy Scouts of America granted a charter to the Chester County Council January 9, 1919. On June 6, 1921, the Council was incorporated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Council records show that it began with 15 Troops and 300 Scouts. Throughout the next 75 years that program has flourished and grown to be among that of the top Boy Scout councils in the United States. In 1994 the Council serves over 200 Cub Scout, Boy Scout and Explorer Career Awareness units with more than 10,000 youth members and over 2500 adult volunteers. While the methods of delivering that program have changed since those early days, the principles which Scouting seeks to deliver have remained constant. The Scout Oath and Law, duty to God and Country still are the tenets of this great movement.

The trailblazers at the time of our Council's being formed included many prominent community leaders of Chester County. As reported in the Daily Local News of West Chester in 1985, "A look at the record reveals, among others, the following charter members of our council: Norris B. Slack, Herbert P. Worth, Frank H. Kramer, I. Robert Comfort, the Reverend Jay Dickerson, Dr. Charles R. Williamson, all of West Chester; the Reverend W.C. Pugh, Oliver W. Eastburn and Joseph B. Phillips of Kennett Square; William H. Richardson and John P. Richardson of Malvern; Dr. S. H. Scott of Coatesville and Dr. Joseph Huggins of Downington." In addition, the Reverend J. H. Martin and G. Nelson Thompson were on our Executive Board.

Arthur A. Schuck was our Council's first Scout Executive until December 1st, 1919. He later climbed the ranks of professional Scouting to become Chief Scout Executive of the National Boy Scouts of America from 1948 to 1960. As the Daily Local points out, our early years were marked with the leadership of many other well known men including Clyde T. Saylor, Dr. Samuel C. Schmucker and Robert W. Wolcott who for many years was the president of the Lukens Steel Company.

It was the foresight of these men and countless others who prominently took a role in setting up the trail to be followed by nearly a half million Scouts in the our 75 years of service. In those early years, the trustees of the Scout Council included the Honorable Owen J. Roberts who was chairman, Frank B. Foster, J. Gibson McIlvain, P.M. Sharpless, W. Plunkett Stewart, John H. Ware Jr., Robert W. Wolcott and Charlton Yarnall. Among the men who were chosen for the board of directors were: John Bleeker, Jerome H. Young, Dr. Charles S. Swope and Judge W. Butler Windle of West Chester, Dr. George Coates, Whitford; Malcolm Farquhar, Longwood; Dr. J. Elmer Gotwals, Phoenixville; George P. Orr, Devon; John O. Platt, Paoli and John H. Ware, 3rd, Oxford.

In 1919 the administrative offices were located in the Farmers and Mechanics Building in West Chester and were subsequently relocated to the Temple Building at 24 East Market Street. In 1942, the Council acquired its own office building, the gift of Mrs. S. F. Sharpless in memory of her son First Lieutenant Franklyn Sharpless, who lost his life in World War II. On June 2, 1966, the new Ware Memorial Council Service and Training Center was dedicated on South Concord Road, its present site.

In 75 years of service to the youth in the Council, there are countless story "trails" criss-crossing the County. Stories have been woven into the fabric of Scouting in Chester County and neighboring northern Cecil County , Maryland. The success of Scouting in the Council is the sum of many factors over a period of many years - the exceptional leadership of community and business leaders, the devoted volunteer base of the organization, the fine facilities, quality leadership training and the strong programs reflecting the finest traditions of the Scouting Movement.