1910s
1910
The Boy Scouts of America is incorporated on February 8 under the laws of
the District of Columbia by W. D. Boyce.
On June 21, a group of 34 national representatives of boys' work agencies
meet, develop organization plans, and open a temporary national headquarters
in a YMCA office in New York.
Board members include the Boy Scouts of America's founding fathers:
Daniel Carter Beard, national Scout commissioner; and Ernest Thompson Seton,
Chief Scout.
James E. West is appointed executive officer.
1911
The first edition of the Handbook for Boys is published.
Some 300,000 copies are printed.
The National Council office is established at 200 Fifth Avenue in New
York City on January 2, 1911, with seven employees.
The Scout Oath, Law, badges, and fundamental policies are adopted.
The first awards for heroism are presented by the National Court of
Honor.
1912
By 1912, Scouts are enrolled in every state.
The first Eagle Scout Award is earned by Arthur Eldred in Troop 1 in
Oceanside, New York. A few weeks after becoming the first Eagle Scout,
Eldred helps save another Scout from drowning and is awarded the Honor Medal
for his actions.
Scouts mobilize for the first of a series of national civic Good Turns,
including the promotion of a safe and sane Fourth of July. Other community
Good Turns begin.
Sea Scouting for older Scouts starts.
Boys' Life is purchased to become an official BSA magazine.
1913
Norman Rockwell is hired as an illustrator for Boys' Life magazine. He is
soon promoted to art director.
Scouting, the official magazine for Scouters, is first published.
1914
The first Scout Sunday observance takes place.
The first William T. Hornaday gold medal for the conservation of wildlife
is presented.
The BSA's first tree-planting project is held in New York.
1915
The Department of Education establishes a national office to train all
Scouters.
The Order of the Arrow (OA) is founded by Dr. E. Urner Goodman and
Carroll A. Edson at the Treasure Island Camp of the Philadelphia Council.
1916
Congress grants the Boy Scouts of America a federal charter on June 15,
giving special protection to the name and insignia and limiting membership
to American citizens.
1917
The day after war is declared on Germany, under the slogan "Every Scout
to Feed a Soldier," BSA members are urged to plant vegetable gardens. In two
plant-growing seasons, 12,000 Scout farms are established. At the same time,
the BSA pledges to aid the American Red Cross and promises cooperation with
the U.S. Navy by organizing Scout coastal patrols to watch for enemy ships.
Scouting's full resources are placed at the service of the government as
part of the war effort. From 1917 to 1918, Scouts sell 2,350,977 Liberty
Loan bonds, totaling $147,876,902; and war savings stamps, to a value of
$53,043,698. More than 300 million pieces of government literature are
distributed, and services rendered include food and fuel conservation and
Boy Scout war gardens.
1918
After the signing of the armistice, the slogan "The War Is Over, But Our
Work Is Not" is adopted. Scouts render nationwide service during the
influenza epidemic.
The first service club sponsorship of troops is inaugurated by Rotary
International.
1919
A systematic method of developing cooperation with religious
organizations is adopted.
The first gold Honor medals are awarded by the National Court of Honor
for saving life at risk of the rescuer's own.
1920s
1920
The First World Jamboree is held in England; Boy Scouts from 32 of 52
countries are present. The Boy Scouts of America sends 301 members.
1921
Outstanding civic Good Turns are rendered in forest conservation and in
connection with the floods at Pueblo, Colorado, and San Antonio, Texas.
1924
The Every Scout a Swimmer program is inaugurated.
The first achievement badges are earned by physically disabled Scouts.
The Lone Scouts of America merges with the Boy Scouts of America.
1926
The first Silver Buffalo awards for distinguished service to boyhood are
presented.
The National Executive Board authorizes development of a program for
younger boys, which will eventually become Cub Scouting.
1927
Eagle Palms are added to the list of awards.
The National Council office moves to 2 Park Avenue, New York City.
Three Scouts--David R. Martin, Douglas Oliver, and Dick
Douglas--accompany the Martin Johnson Expedition to Africa.
Sea Scout Paul A. Siple accompanies Commander Richard E. Byrd to the
Antarctic.
1930s
1930
The Cub Scout program is formally launched. There are 5,102 Cub Scouts at
the end of 1930.
1931
The first Silver Beaver awards are presented for distinguished service to
boyhood within a council.
1933
President Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes honorary president, and former
President Herbert Hoover becomes honorary vice president.
The Mortimer L. Schiff Scout Reservation is formally opened and
dedicated.
1934
In response to the request of President Roosevelt in a radio address
delivered February 10, Boy Scouts perform a nationwide Good Turn, collecting
1,812,284 items of clothing, household furnishings, foodstuffs, and supplies
for the distressed and needy.
The Order of the Arrow becomes an approved part of the Scouting program.
1935
The entire Scout membership celebrates the Silver Jubilee of Scouting.
Membership in the Boy Scouts of America passes the 1 million mark.
Boys' Life marks its 25th anniversary in March.
The 5-millionth copy of the Handbook for Boys is published.
The proposed national jamboree is canceled because of a polio epidemic.
1937
The First National Jamboree is held in Washington from June 30 to July 9,
at the invitation of President Roosevelt, with an attendance of 27,232.
1938
Waite Phillips donates Philturn Rockymountain Scoutcamp (later to
become Philmont Scout Ranch--see 1941) consisting of 35,857 acres of land
on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains, near Cimarron, New Mexico.
1939
Philturn Rockymountain Scoutcamp opens for advanced Scout camping.
1940s
1941
With the declaration of war, the government requests Boy Scout service
for the distribution of defense bonds and stamp posters; collection of
aluminum and wastepaper; defense housing surveys; victory gardens;
distribution of air-raid posters; cooperation with the American Red Cross;
and, by joint agreement with the Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization,
services in three capacities--messengers, assisting emergency medical
units, and firewatchers.
Waite Phillips makes another large gift--land, residence and ranch
buildings, livestock, operating ranch equipment--contiguous to Philturn
Rockymountain Scoutcamp, bringing total acreage to more than 127,000
acres. The area is renamed Philmont Scout Ranch.
1942
Scouts continue in war service. Twenty-eight projects are requested by
the government, including the collection of 30 million pounds of rubber in
a two-week drive; all-out salvage based on the government-issued pamphlet
Scrap and How Scouts Collect It; distribution of pledge cards for war
bonds and savings stamps; victory gardens; work on farms and in harvest
camps; and government dispatch bearers.
1943
Scouts render war service at the request of the government in four
general classifications: collections--aid in salvage drives; distribution,
as official dispatch bearers for government pamphlets and posters;
production; and conservation.
The first Silver Antelope awards are presented for distinguished
service to youth within a region.
Long trousers and the Scout cap become part of the official uniform.
1945
The total Boy Scout war service includes 69 requests from the
government during 1941 through 1945.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower's outstanding Wastepaper Campaign
culminates in the General Eisenhower Award; a gold medal is presented to
him in December by the Boy Scouts of America in appreciation. Other
service includes collections in many communities, distribution of
circulars on conservation projects, and the Green Thumb program.
Twenty thousand Scouts earn the General Douglas MacArthur Medal for
growing food.
1950s
1950
The Boy Scouts of America celebrates its 40th anniversary.
The Second National Jamboree, held at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, June
30-July 6, brings 47,163 Scouts and leaders from around the nation and the
world.
Philmont Scout Ranch begins offering training courses.
The U.S. Post Office Department issues the first Boy Scout stamp.
1951
Scouts collect 2 million pounds of clothing for domestic and foreign
relief.
1952
Scouts distribute more than a million posters and 30 million Liberty
Bell doorknob hangers in a get-out-the-vote campaign.
Scouts cooperate in a national campaign to secure blood donor pledges,
collect clothing for worthy causes, distribute seeds for Asia, and aid in
conservation projects and civil defense.
1953
The Third National Jamboree is held at the Irvine Ranch in Southern
California, July 17-23, with 45,401 Scouts and leaders from around the
nation and the world participating.
Scouts assist in the inauguration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
1954
The Boy Scouts of America conducts a National Conservation Good Turn,
distributing 3.6 million conservation posters. In parks, rural areas, and
wilderness areas, Scouts plant 6.2 million trees, build and place 55,000
bird-nesting boxes, and arrange 41,000 conservation displays.
Boys' Life circulation passes the 1 million mark.
The Webelos den is created to provide a means of maintaining the
interest of Cub Scouts 10 years of age in Scouting and to provide a bridge
for crossing over to Boy Scouting.
1956
In a nationwide nonpartisan get-out-the-vote campaign, Scouts
distribute more than a million posters and 36 million Liberty Bell
doorknob hangers.
Boys' Life magazine is among the top 17 American magazines.
1957
The Fourth National Jamboree, at Valley Forge July 12-19, attracts
50,000 Scouts and Explorers.
The 15-millionth copy of the Handbook for Boys is published.
1958
National Safety Good Turns are conducted. The BSA delivers 40 million
emergency handbooks prepared by the Office of Civil Defense Mobilization.
Also, 50,000 posters are placed in post offices.
Richard Lee Chappel of Eggertsville, New York, accompanies the
National Academy of Sciences team on the International Geophysical Year
Arctic Expedition.
1960s
1960
During Scouting's Golden Jubilee year, thousands of boys earn the 50th
Anniversary Achievement Award.
Some 56,378 Scouts and leaders attend the Fifth National Jamboree,
held at Colorado Springs, Colorado, July 22-28.
The U.S. Post Office Department issues a Boy Scout commemorative stamp
in February.
The third national get-out-the-vote campaign is conducted.
1963
Philmont Scout Ranch receives an anonymous gift of 10,098 acres.
1964
The Sixth National Jamboree is held at Valley Forge July 17-23, with
52,000 Scouts and leaders participating.
1965
The Inner-City Rural Program is launched.
The 500,000th Eagle Scout badge is presented.
The BSA's 40 millionth youth is registered.
1967
The Boy Scouts of America hosts the 12th World Jamboree at Farragut
State Park, Idaho.
1969
Young women are accepted as participants in special-interest Exploring
posts.
The Seventh National Jamboree is held at Farragut State Park, Idaho.
More than 35,000 Scouts and leaders attend.
1970s
1970
Project SOAR (Save Our American Resources) is initiated as an ongoing
BSA service project. It is estimated that during the year, 60,000 BSA
units take part in SOAR-related conservation projects.
1971
Scouting Keep America Beautiful Day is held on June 5, and Scouts
collect more than a million tons of litter.
1972
Nearly 4 million Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts take part in Scouting Keep
America Beautiful Day.
The National Eagle Scout Association (NESA) is launched.
1973
The 1973 National Scout Jamboree is held at two sites--Moraine State
Park in Pennsylvania and Farragut State Park in Idaho--with more than
64,000 participants.
1974
Scouting Environment Day is held April 27.
The Cub Scout Safe Bicycle Driving program and Cub Scout Physical
Fitness program are introduced.
New Scout merit badges are introduced for Orienteering and Wilderness
Survival.
1976
The Boy Scouts of America celebrates the nation's bicentennial.
1977
The 1977 National Scout Jamboree is held at Moraine State Park in
Pennsylvania.
1978
Mark W. Leinmiller, Marietta, Georgia, is selected for the Antarctic
Scientific Program, sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the
Reader's Digest Association.
A public service advertising campaign is introduced featuring former
President and Eagle Scout Gerald R. Ford.
1979
The national office is moved to Irving, Texas, after 25 years in New
Jersey.
New editions of The Official Boy Scout Handbook and Wolf Cub Scout Book
are published.
1980s
1980
The Boy Scouts of America celebrates its 70th anniversary.
Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Explorers pass out fliers across the country
urging participation in the 1980 National Census.
Cub Scouting celebrates its 50th anniversary and registers its 30
millionth Cub Scout since 1930.
1981
The 10th National Scout Jamboree is held at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia.
1982
Alexander M. Holsinger becomes the millionth Eagle Scout registered.
"Shaping Tomorrow," a project aimed at addressing critical issues of
the1980s, is initiated in January.
The Tiger Cubs BSA program is field tested and implemented.
1985
The Boy Scouts of America celebrates its 75th anniversary.
The 11th National Scout Jamboree is held July 24-30 at Fort A.P. Hill,
Virginia. First lady Nancy Reagan pays a visit.
1986
The BSA is touched by the Challenger disaster, as two of the space
shuttle crew members were active in Scouting as youths. Lt. Col. Ellison S.
Onizuka attained the Eagle Scout rank in 1964 in Holualoa, Hawaii. Dr.
Ronald E. McNair reached Star rank as a youth in Lake City, South Carolina.
Boys' Life magazine celebrates its 75th anniversary.
The BSA conducts a nationwide Donor Awareness Good Turn to inform
American families of the urgent need for donated human organs and tissue. An
estimated 600,000 youth members distribute 14 million brochures to families,
informing them of the need for donated human organs and tissue and urging
them to make a commitment to donate.
1987
The Boy Scouts of America begins to address five "unacceptables" in
American society: drug abuse, hunger, child abuse, illiteracy, and
unemployment.
The nation's largest anti-drug abuse education campaign is launched with
the release of a booklet titled Drugs: A Deadly Game.
1988
The first annual Scouting for Food drive collects more than 65 million
containers of food.
The campaign "Drugs: A Deadly Game" receives the 1988 Presidential
Citation for Private Sector Initiatives.
1989
The 12th National Scout Jamboree, at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, draws
33,000 Scouts and leaders.
The second annual Scouting for Food drive nets 72 million containers of
food for the nation's needy.
1990s
1990
Pope John Paul II is presented with the BSA's Distinguished Citizen of
the World Commendation.
The new 10th edition of the Boy Scout Handbook is published. The initial
demand for a million copies of the manual brings the total circulation of
the Handbook since 1910 to 33,860,000.
1991
The BSA funds training leaders from the former Soviet Union and the
writing of the Russian Scout handbook.
1992
A focused initiative in Urban Emphasis encourages the formation of Cub
Scout packs, Boy Scout troops, and Explorer posts in low-income and minority
communities. The bilingual publication of Scouting literature is increased
to serve Spanish-speaking parents and leaders.
Scouts collect food and clothing, and offer a helping hand in the wake of
Hurricane Andrew.
1993
Nearly 26,000 youth attend the 1993 National Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P.
Hill, Virginia.
The Scouting movement in the former Soviet Union turns to the BSA for
help in producing the first Russian Scout handbook; 20,000 copies are
distributed.
1997
The 14th National Scout Jamboree, held at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, is
attended by 35,000 Boy Scouts and leaders.
1998
The 11th edition of the Boy Scout Handbook is published. Its first
printing yields 750,000 copies, bringing the total circulation of the
Handbook since 1910 to nearly 36 million.
The coed Venturing program is launched. Venturing quickly becomes the
fastest growing Scouting program, with a membership of more than 288,000
young men and women by the end of 2003.
Scouts collect more than 41 million cans of food to help feed the hungry.
1999
The new Venturer Handbook is introduced. A record number of Boy Scouts
and Venturers earn Eagle Scout awards, with 47,582 young men attaining the
prestigious rank.
2000s
2000
The Boy Scouts of America celebrates its 90th anniversary.
The BSA's 100 millionth youth is registered.
Scouts complete more than 214 million total hours of service for
"America's Promise--The Alliance for Youth," surpassing the four-year goal
of 200 million service hours by the end of 2000.
2001
The 15th National Scout Jamboree, held at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, is
the largest single-site jamboree since 1964, with more than 40,000
participants and an estimated 275,000 visitors.
In the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, Scouts respond to
our nation's call for assistance by collecting gloves, socks, toothbrushes,
bottled water, and other necessities requested by rescue workers and
victims.
2002
The National Scouting Museum reopens in a new 50,000-square-foot facility
next door to the National Council office in Irving, Texas. The museum was
formerly housed in Murray, Kentucky.
A total of 49,328 young men earn the rank of Eagle Scout--the largest
one-year number ever in the history of the Boy Scouts of America.
2003
Venturing introduces the Quest Award for participants to learn about good
nutrition, fitness, and sportsmanship.
2004
The BSA launches Good Turn for America, a national initiative to address
the problems of hunger, homelessness/inadequate housing, and poor health.
The Salvation Army, American Red Cross, and Habitat for Humanity join as
national partners.
Some 200 Scouts come to the aid victims in the wake of Hurricane Charley.
The Boy Scouts of America helps kick off September as National
Preparedness Month. Eagle Scout Tucker Barbour of Troop 500, chartered to
the Capitol Hill Scouts in Washington, D.C., introduces Secretary of
Homeland Security Tom Ridge at the kickoff event on the grounds of the
United States Capitol.
2005
The Boy Scouts of America celebrates 95 years of Scouting.
Cub Scouting celebrates its 75th birthday.
