February 8th marked  the 100^th anniversary of the founding of the Boy Scouts of America, incorporated on that date in 1910.   

Chicagoan William D.  Boyce had encountered a British Boy Scout while on a trip to London in 1909.  Boyce had been so impressed with the scout that he met with Scouting founder Robert Baden Powell, returning to the United States with scouting literature, uniforms and insignias.  Copies of Baden Powell’s book “Scouting for Boys” had already begun circulating and interest was ripe.  Additional support for the new organization was found within the Y.M.C.A. and other like-minded organizations.  

Here in the Mahoning Valley, scouting became a reality in 1911 through the work of civic minded leaders who organized three troops by 1912:  Troop 9 sponsored by the First Presbyterian Church in Girard with Rev. Jesse H. Beard as scoutmaster; Troop 19 sponsored by the Rodef Sholom Temple in Youngstown under scoutmaster Herbert Hartzell; and Troop 23 sponsored by Richard Brown Memorial Church under the direction of R. C. McBride – this troop later reorganized as Troop 4 in 1918.

This exhibit showcases the collection of Tony Valley, Jr., author of "Boy Scouts in Mahoning County 1911-1993."  Through his research hundreds of photos were collected and are now part of the Historical Society's archives.  Scouting memorabilia is also on display from the Scouting Museum at Camp Stambaugh in Canfield.
 

The exhibit will be open from February 13th through May 30, 2010.