 Arthur Eldred, 1912, BSA's first Eagle Scout. Arthur Rose Eldred (August 16, 1895-1951) became the first Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) on August 21, 1912; just two years after the BSA was founded in 1910. Eldred was born in Brooklyn, New York but was raised in Oceanside, Long Island, New York by his mother after his father died when Arthur Eldred was very young. August 16 is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...
1895 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...
:-* 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ...
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable by a scout in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), and is also used as a title of a scout who has achieved this honor. ...
The Boy Scouts of America(BSA) is an organization designed for boys between the ages of seven and eighteen, and for both young men and women between the ages of 14 and 21, based in the United States of America, with some presence in other countries. ...
August 21 is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...
1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...
A map highlighting Brooklyn and the rest of New York City. ...
Official language(s) English Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 27th 141,205 km² 455 km 530 km 13. ...
Oceanside is a hamlet (and census-designated place) located in Nassau County, New York. ...
The four counties of Long Island. ...
Formation of Troop 1
Scouting came to Oceanside in 1910, largely through the efforts of Arthur’s older brother, Hubert W. Eldred. There was a troop of American Boy Scouts ((ABS),an early rival to the BSA which had as its benefactor William Randolph Hearst), in nearby Rockville Center, New York. The methods of the ABS revolved around military drills, which this troop held in the Rockville Center Club. Hubert Eldred went to New York City to the ABS Headquarters to see about forming an ABS troop in Oceanside. However, during his visit to New York, he also visited the offices of the fledgling organization of the Boy Scouts of America, which were then located in the YMCA Headquarters building. Hubert was so impressed with the ideals of the BSA that he decided to form what was to become BSA Troop 1 of Rockville Center, Oceanside, Long Island, New York in November 1910, and served as its Scoutmaster. The troop was designated by this city name because the Eldred residence was located on Terrell Avenue which was listed as Rockville Center by the Post Office for delivery of the mail. However, all the boys in the troop attended the Oceanside School. This troop was also instrumental in starting the first BSA troop at nearby Freeport, Long Island, New York. Scouting is a worldwide youth organization. ...
Scouting is a world-wide youth organization. ...
William Randolph Hearst William Randolph Hearst (April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American newspaper magnate, born in San Francisco, California. ...
The Empire State Building (right) and the Chrysler Building (left) are easily recognized symbols of New York City to the world. ...
YMCAs in the United States and Canada use this logo. ...
A Scoutmaster is the adult leader of a Troop in Boy Scouts. ...
Troop meetings were held on the second floor of the Eldred barn on Terrell Avenue. Eldred’s troop was one of the first troops in the United States to be completely uniformed. Each boy had to earn money for his own uniform. So important was this to the boys, that one young Scout, Melvin Daly, who Arthur later saved from drowning, once came to a Scout meeting in heavy snow in shoes with soles worn to the skin in order to save money for his Scout pants.
Troop 1's appearance was so impressive that James E. West, BSA's first National Scout Executive, asked Eldred's troop to serve as honor guard for the visit of Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, "BP" as he was affectionately known, on January 31, 1912 to New York. West even paid for the Troop's expenses. The Troop's Scoutmaster recorded in his report that BP said: “that his finest memory of his entire trip around the world, was sailing up beautiful New York Harbor, and seeing the long line of erect uniformed Boy Scouts with the American flag on the right of the line and the British Cross of St. Andrew on the left of the line and the Boy Scout Flag in the center”. BP was quite enamoured with Eldred, who was quite modest, in particular and talked with him as some length.[1] James Elton West is the former mayor of Spokane, Washington. ...
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January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Troop 1 was very active and often asked to perform demonstrations in the area.
Youth Scouting career  Arthur Eldred's Eagle Scout medal, courtesy National Scout Museum. Eldred rose rapidly through the ranks. When Eldred earned his Eagle rank, the fledgling Scout organization had about 300,000 members. A measure of his achievement was that by April 1912 only 141 merit badges had then been earned by about 50 Scouts in the whole country. Eldred received his First Class badge in March, 1911. Like many early Eagle Scouts, including eight of the first nine Eagles, Eldred did not earn Life or Star (Life preceded Star until 1922). [2] First Class Scout rank badge First Class Scout is a rank attainable by a Scout in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), and ranks above Second class and below Star. ...
Eldred completed the required 21 merit badges for Eagle in April of 1912. This was to be BSA's first Eagle Scout and West was not going to lose the public relations opportunity. In his letter to the principal, Eldred states that he “of course” did not have a local court of honor (board of review) but secured affidavits from the local men who examined him for his merit badges. Public relations is, simply-stated, the art and science of building relationships between an organization and its key audiences. ...
Not only did Eldred have a troop Board of Review, he had a National Board of review consisting of James E. West, Chief Scout Executive;, Ernest Thompson Seton, Chief Scout; and Daniel Carter Beard, National Scout Commissioner. Eldred stated that Daniel Carter Beard, the first National Scout Commissioner, examined him personally on several subjects. Wilbert E. Longfellow, who had written articles on life-saving and swimming in the Scout Manual was also present and examined him on those subjects. James West and others also “grilled” him rather thoroughly. West informed Eldred of his Eagle award in a letter dated August 21, 1912. This letter also informed Eldred of the delay in the medal, caused by the fact that the design of the Eagle Scout medal had not been finalized, so he didn't receive the medal until Labor Day, 1912. Ernest Thompson Seton (August 14, 1860 - October 23, 1946) was a noted author and founding pioneer of the Boy Scouts of America. ...
Daniel Carter (Uncle Dan) Beard (June 21, 1850– June 11, 1941) was an American illustrator, author, and social reformer from Covington, Kentucky. ...
Labour Day (or Labor Day) is an annual holiday that resulted from efforts of the labour union movement, to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. ...
Also in August 1912, Eldred earned another impressive Scouting award. While camping with the troop in Orange Lake, New York, Eldred and Merritt Cutler saved Melvin Daly, another Scout who was 15 and a non-swimmer, from drowning. Daly almost drowned Eldred and Cutler in the process. Eldred was awarded the Bronze Honor Medal for that action. Apparently, this was presented by Ernest Thompson Seton. Orange Lake is a census-designated place located in Orange County, New York. ...
Ernest Thompson Seton (August 14, 1860 - October 23, 1946) was a noted author and founding pioneer of the Boy Scouts of America. ...
As for Rockville Center BSA Troop 1, most of the Scouts in the troop were also 17 of 18 years old by the time Arthur received his Eagle Medal. In the early part of 1913, the troop more or less disbanded, and Arthur’s brother Hubert left Rockville Center about the same time.
Education and career Eldred entered Cornell University in the fall of 1912 to study agriculture and graduated in 1916. At the university, Eldred was on the track and cross-country teams, and president of the Cornell University Agricultural Association. During World War I, he served as an enlisted man aboard a U.S. Navy submarine chaser based in Corfu, Greece. Upon his return to the United States, Eldred went to work for a dairy, and in 1921 became the agricultural agent for Atlantic County, New Jersey. During his seven years in that position, Eldred was credited with establishing the Atlantic City municipal market for farm products, as well as other accomplishments on behalf of the county’s farmers. Cornell University is a research university whose main campus is located on the East Hill of Ithaca, New York, and whose two medical campuses are located in New York City and in Education City, Qatar, near Doha. ...
Combatants Entente Powers Central Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties > 5 million military deaths > 3 million military deaths World War I, also known as the First World War and (before 1939) the Great War, the War of the Nations and the War to End All Wars, was a...
The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ...
A submarine chaser is a small and fast naval vessel specially intended for anti-submarine warfare. ...
Location in the state of New Jersey Formed 1837 Seat Mays Landing Area - Total - Water 1,739 km² (671 mi²) 286 km² (110 mi²) 16. ...
In 1928, Eldred left his county job to become a specialist in promoting railroad transportation of produce for the Reading Railroad. As movement of produce by truck became an ever more important part of transportation, Arthur was named manager of the Motor Carrier Committee of the Eastern Railroad Association. He held this position until his death in 1951. Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Categories: Rail stubs | Philadelphia and Reading Railroad ...
Adult Scouting life and descendants  ( l-r) unknown, Arthur Eldred, Willard Eldred (Arthur's son), at Willard's Eagle Scout ceremony. Throughout his life, Eldred continued his interest in Scouting. In the 1920’s he was a board of review examiner. He was also Troop Committee Chair for his son’s Troop 77 in Clementon, New Jersey, and served as a member of the Camden County Council. He also served on the Clementon Board of Education, and was president of the Overbrook Regional School Board. Clementon Borough highlighted in Camden County Clementon is a borough located in Camden County, New Jersey. ...
Camden County is a county located in the state of New Jersey. ...
The National Eagle Scout Association chapter of the BSA's Theodore Roosevelt Council’s in Massapequa, New York is named in honor of Eldred. The National Eagle Scout Association (NESA) is an organization of men who have earned the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. ...
Massapequa is a hamlet (and a census-designated place) located in Nassau County, New York. ...
Eldred's descendants have followed in their father's footsteps. Eldred was present when his son, Willard "Bill" G. Eldred, had his Eagle Scout ceremony on October 27, 1944. His grandson, Willard Eldred, is also an Eagle Scout. Two of his great-gransons are Scouts as of 2005, working towards Eagle Scout. [3] October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 65 days remaining. ...
1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...
See also List of Eagle Scouts Eagle Scouts are those who have attained the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). ...
Footnotes - ^ Eaglescout.org (2006). BSA's first Eagle Scout information verified by Arthur Eldred's son
- ^ Peterson, Robert (November–December 2002). Evolution of the Eagle Scout Award. Scouting Magazine
- ^ [[|Ray, Mark, ]], () ({{{Month}}} Winter 2005). [ Eagle Scout Heritage Celebration Brings History to Life]. Eagletter Vol:31 (No:3): pp: 8–9. .
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