Troop
1 Celebrates 95 Years of Excellence
For
95 years boys and dads (and some moms) have been gathering in a
"Sooner log cabin" in the basement of First Presbyterian Church to
learn knot-tying, plan camping trips and to recite the oath " On my honor I
promise to do my best..."
Troop
1 is the oldest troop in the Indian Nations Council and one of the oldest in the
nation. The Boy Scouts of America was founded on February 8, 1910. On May
10 that year, a Sunday School class at First Christian Church formed a Scout
troop. Fred Bossard became its first Scoutmaster, but unable to convince the
Sunday School superintendent that Scouting was not a military organization, the
Troop was moved to First Presbyterian Church in early 1911. Our Scout Room was
built in 1925 and looks much the same as it did after a remodel in 1933 when
many of the Scouting symbols you still see on its walls and beams were wood
burned. The history of Troop 1 - and Tulsa itself - is written on the
knotty-pine walls of our meeting room. Pictures of campouts and ribbons and
awards from hundreds of scouting events tell of our rich tradition. Countless
names are penciled and wood burned on the rough-sawn wood, including one of our
newest names, Gov. Frank Keating, who has visited the troop the past 2 years.
Community
service
has been a hallmark of Scouting and Troop 1 from the beginning. In addition to
hundreds of service projects led by Eagle Scouts over the years, the Troop
distinguished itself during World War I by scouting walnut groves for the Army
to make propeller blades, harvesting a peach crop in Perry, OK, and building an
"Arch of Triumph" for a downtown parade for returning soldiers. Troop
1 provided the Guard of Honor when General John J. Pershing visited Tulsa in
1921. Troop 1 joined other Tulsa troops to help register African American
citizens for food and clothing following the race riot in 1921. This past year,
Eagle projects rendered service to public schools, homeless and disadvantaged
children, the Tulsa animal shelter, the Red Cross, churches and the handicapped.
Of
course, camping has always been a focus in Scouting. In the early years,
Troop 1 camped in many of the same places we now camp: Camp Euchee, NE of Sand
Springs (near what is now John Zink Ranch), Camp Parthenia (now Camp Loughridge)
and, since 1925, Camp Garland. In 1937 Troop 1 attended the first National
Jamboree in Washington, D.C. In the summer of 1997 Troop 1 attended the National
Jamboree at Ft. A.P. Hill near Washington, D.C., and is currently planning its
trip to the 2001 Jamboree. Today, our campouts include weekend camping each
month of the year at numerous locations in the region, canoeing, a yearly ski
trip and backpacking treks in the Rocky mountains.
Today,
Troop 1 has 130+ registered Scouts and 50+ adult leaders, making it one of the
largest troops in Indian Nations Council. We meet every Monday night and camp
once a month.
As
we begin a new century, Troop 1 intends to both honor and continue the tradition
of excellence, leadership and Scouting principals established so many years ago.