First Scout Troops in Texas

Organized in 1913
.
SCOUTING magazine was started.  A membership registration system was established.  The Handbook for Scoutmasters was published.  Boy Scout Week was held for the first time.  Membership had climbed to 115,364.  Many more Scout Troops were organized in Texas this year.
.
Community
Details
Houston

Troop 7 - First organized in early 1913 and met at the YMCA with Roland Shine as scoutmaster.  CAlled themselves “The Pioneers.”  Moved to Woodcrest Presbyterian Church in the West End in 1914.  Troop 7 became inactive for awhile, sometime after 1923, and changed sponsors a few times.

Information was obtained from Jack Linn's SHAC History titled "In the Beginning: The First Scout Troops in Houston."

Grapevine

In 1913, Grapevine Mayor Benjamin Richard Wall made a trip to New York and brought back with him a Boy Scout Troop charter for Troop 7.  In 1923, Troop 7 was chartered in Arlington.  But, moved back to Grapevine In 1931 where it remains active today with the continuing  support of community organizations.  Grapevine Friends of Scouting is the chartered organization since 2020. 
https://troop7texas.org/page-history.html

Scurry County According in information found in "West-Texas Cubs, Scouts and Explorers, " 1973, by Olan B. Draper, the first Boy Scout Troop in Scurry County was sponsored by a Sunday School Teacher, Mrs. Nancy Caton, in the First Methodist Church.  She had read about the Scout organization in England, and how it came to American in 1910, and thought a Troop would be a good thing for her class of boys.  She designed a little Scout pin, similar to a picture she had seen.  The troop donated a stained glass window for the new church.
Van Alstyne In 1913, three Van Alstyne boys, Rowland Barnett, Otis White and Rae Nunnallee, received a Boy Scout storybook. Barnett made a Christmas wish and, in March 1913, the Van Alstyne troop received its charter--one of the first in the state. W.F. Barnett, Rowland's father and Van Alstyne school superintendent, became the troop's first scoutmaster. Within a few years, Troop 1, as it was known then, helped establish other boy scout troops in the area, beginning with the communities of Anna and Elmont. The Van Alstyne troop worked from its founding date to serve its community.  Now known as Troop 14. 
WichitaFalls According to Troop 1, Wichita Falls, their troop was established in 1913 and has been continuously chartered since 1916.

For more information go to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scouting_in_Texas

Wills Point Dallas Morning News, April 12, 1913:  "Scout Commissioner C. M. Richmond returned last night from Wills Point, where he spent the day looking at camp sites near that place.

"Mr. Richmond visited the high school and talked about the scout movement.  all voted to join and twenty boys were sworn in after two hours of tugging at the first test with their scoutmaster, who will be Rev. E. L. Brandon, a Baptist minister.  William Greer, Buck Jim Wynne and Andrew Jordan, a former Dallas scout, were elected to be patrol leaders."

Stamford Dallas Morning News, June 9, 1913: "Special to The News. Stamford, Tex., June 8 - Four patrols of the American Boy Scouts have just been organized in this city with Ray Rector Scout Master. 

"The non-commissioned officers are as follows; Clemmie Cooper, first sergeant; Harry Yates, second sergeant; Raymond Rosamond, third sergeant; Terrell Patterson, first corporal; Clyde Langsord, second corporal; Jno Bennett, third corporal and Fay Bourne, fourth corporal."

Paris Dallas Morning News, June 11, 1913.  "State Brevities: Special to The News. Paris, Tex. June 10 - Thirty-two Boy Scouts in charge of W. E. Boyd, scoutmaster, left Monday for Eubank, OK. to spend a week in camp on the Kiomatia."
Comanche Dallas Morning News, June 15, 1913. "Special to The News. Comanche, Tex. June 14 - A company of the Boy Scouts of America has been organized in Comanche with more than thirty members. D. W. Slue, a graduate of a military school, is in charge as scoutmaster."
Fort Worth Fort Worth Star-Telegram, June 26, 1913.  "Organization of Fort Worth Boy scouts, Troop No. 2, has been perfected by R. G. Hill, scoutmaster of Troop 1.  The new troop is composed of forty members of the Magnolia Avenue Christian Church and Rev. S. W. Hutton, assistant pastor, is in charge.

"Both troops will 'hike' Saturday to Lake Erie, where they will spend the day swimming, 'hiking' and boating.  Each boy will take his own provisions and prepare his meals while at the lake."

Texarkana Dallas Morning News, August 24, 1913.  "Special to The News. Texarkana, Tex., Aug. 23. - Twenty boys met at the Y.M.C.A. last night and took preliminary steps for the organization of a troop of Boy Scouts for Texarkana.  Will Finley, who has had considerable experience in organizations elsewhere, was chosen scout master.  Another meeting will be held next Friday night, by which time, it is thought, the necessary number (twenty-four) will have been enrolled when the organization will be completed.  The boys present were all enthusiastic and were anxious to enroll as charter members of the troop."

August 30, 1913.  "The organization of a troop of Boy Scouts, which was begun two weeks ago, was completed at a meeting held at the Texarkana Y.M.C.A. Building.  Twenty-four boys enrolled.

"The officers chosen were Will Finley, scoutmaster; Patrol No. 1, Louis Marx; Patrol No. 2, Louis Munz; Patrol No. 3, Caleb Moss.  The boys are all enthusiastic and drills to perfect them in the work will be held every two or three days."

Bonham Dallas Morning News, August 29, 1913.  "Special to The News. Bonham, Tex., Aug. 28 - A local council of Boy Scouts has been organized here with Rev. J. Everhart, Scout Commissioner."
San Angelo Dallas Morning News, September 9, 1913.  "Special to The News.  San Angelo, Tex., Sept. 8 - Plans are now under way here for the organization of a camp of the American Boy Scouts.  The organization is to be separate and distinct from one organized here several years ago.  V. J. Smith, Spencer Wells and John Netherton are handling the organization."
Decatur Dallas Morning News, September 16, 1913.  "Special to The News. Decatur, Tex., Sept. 15. - Decatur's annual classical entertainment, consisting of a six-number lyceum contract, has been provided for by the Decatur Boy Scouts.  The Scouts are making preparations to attend the Scout Day at the Dallas Fair on Oct. 25."

Dallas Morning News, August 26, 1914.  "Special to The News, Denton, Texas, Aug. 25 - Troop No. 1 of the Decatur Boy Scouts returned this morning from a two weeks' camping trip to Elmhurst Park, near Mineral Wells.  the hike of seventy miles was made under many difficulties."

Taylor Dallas Morning News, October 22, 1913.  "Special to The News. Taylor, Tex., Oct. 21 - The boy scouts of Taylor fully organized here at a meeting held in the Baraca rooms of the Methodist Church with a charter membership of thirty-seven and with O. C. Ankeman, scoutmaster.  Herbert Patterson, president; Roy Davis, vice president; Vernon Adams, secretary; Clarence Ploeger, treasurer; Leon Bergstrom, sergeant-at-arms; Reginald A. Rodgers, reporter."
Dallas
This Dallas Drum and Bugle Corp was organized in May of 1913.  Scoutmaster was J. M. Vidler and the Assistant Scoutmaster was A. G. Newman, Jr.
Uvalde According to "Panjandrum, A History of Concho Valley Council, Boy Scouts of America 1911-2001," 2001, by Frank T. Hilton, page 9, "A Scout troop was organized in Uvalde in 1913.  Rev. B. F. Moore was Scoutmaster.  The Scouts in the troop were Wade Ferguson, Arthur Evans, Charley Turk, Amos Ward, Bob Sharp, Frank Churchill, Vernon Spenser and Tom Hardin.  Most of these kids graduated from high school in 1917.
Houston History of Region Nine, by Minor Huffman, page 96.  "A second class council was organized in Houston in 1913.  David Duller, one of the earliest Scoutmasters, later became commissioner."
Rosenburg History of Region Nine, by Minor Huffman, page 97.  "In 1913 a second class council was organized in Rosenberg.  Charles Lee was commissioner.  It was short lived and no further mention of it is found."
.
A story in the Dallas Morning News, November 1, 1913, stated that the Texas State Fair was expecting Scout Troops from the following towns to attend the Fair on Scout Day.  We do not have information on many of these units in 1913, and they are marked in red.

San Antonio, Fort Worth, Austin, Denison, Hillsboro, Waxahachie, Marshall, Longview, Nacogdoches, Greenville, Italy, Leonard, Royce City, Granbury, Paris, Willis Point, Mineral Wells, Shiner, Cisco, Corsicana, Ennis, Irving, Cooper, Lancaster and Edgewood

If you have any information on these Troops please let us know.  You can find the e-mal address at the bottom of our home page.



Last updated:  July 30, 2017

Return to Alphabetical Listing
Return to First Troops in Texas
Return to Home Page