The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) designates the Sunday that falls before February 8th as Scout Sunday, or Scouting Anniversary Day, the day in 1910 on which the Boy Scouts were founded by William Bryce here in the United States.
The origins of the Boy Scouts date back to 1908 when Robert Baden-Powell founded the group in London, England, after returning from his time serving with the British Army. He fought in the Second Boer War in South Africa and became a national hero when his troops successfully defended the town in the Siege of Mafeking. Much of his success was credited to his military training manual called Aids to Scouting which he re-wrote to suit youth groups when he returned to England.
Robert Baden-Powell’s revised publication, Scouting for Boys, was published in 1908 in six installments and quickly sparked a movement to form Scout troops across England and beyond. By the end of 1910, there were over 100,000 Scouts in England, and by 1939, the number of Scouts had grown in excess of 3.3 million around the world.
William Bryce’s introduction and interest in founding the Boy Scouts of America began after a trip to London. Bryce was a businessman who traveled from Chicago to London for a meeting. When he arrived, he became disoriented on the foggy streets of London and was having trouble finding his way. That is when a young lad in a uniform appeared and helped show him the way. Bryce offered to give him a tip, but he refused and said it was simply his good deed for the day as a scout.
When William Bryce returned to Chicago, he told his fellow businessmen about the Boy Scouts and officially founded The Boy Scouts of America on February 8, 1910. The movement gained momentum, and troops began to spring up across the country and here in Marple Newtown. While the start of World War I took a toll on the scout troops that had been established, some managed to weather the storm of lack of leadership with the men being off at war, while others made a strong comeback as new troops after the war.
My family has a long history of scouting, including my mother, who was a Girl Guide in Canada in her youth. She remained true to scouting roots while living in Newtown Square and raising her family. She volunteered her time with various groups in Delaware County and watched me, my brother and my sisters become scouts ourselves. The legacy continues as I now watch my daughter grow as a female member of Scouts BSA.
Our area’s history of scouting runs deep, and our troops continue to thrive today. Just this past Christmas Eve, my brother pulled out a shirt with a collection of patches my mother had sewn on it. One of the patches showed a joint camporee of five BSA Troops from Newtown Square with patches from 1971 and 1973. After a quick internet search, I discovered that these camporees were regular occurrences held at the Garrett Williamson Lodge and the adjoining Sun Company property for several years.
If you go to the BSA website and look for a current troop to join in Newtown Square Proper, you have a great choice: Troop 315, the oldest in town. Troop 315 traces its roots back to Newtown Square Troop 1, founded in 1922. When the BSA switched to a three-digit troop identification system, it was reassigned 315, with the 1 indicating its original number. Several other options are close by; Troop 122 Broomall / Newtown Square, the second established Newtown Square Troop and Troop 151 out of Marple Presbyterian Church. Radnor 284, while their scout cabin has a Newtown Square address, is in Radnor, as the name suggests. Each offers Cub Pack and Scouts Troops and Radnor 284 provides a female scout program.
The Scoutmaster of Newtown Square Troop 1 was F.J. Ballaron. In 1941 he became Chief Ballaron of the Newtown Square Fire Company. His sons Frank and Albert would continue in community service. In 1951 Frank Ballaron became President of the Newtown Square Fire Company and Albert was elected Fire Chief. Frank would serve for two years and Albert for three.
Today Troop 1’s legacy continues through Troop 315 and Cub Pack 315, chartered by St. Anastasia Church. One of many dedicated Scout Leaders is Broomall resident, Don Johnson who began serving as a Cub Scout Den Leader in 1984, later Cubmaster, and for the past thirty years as Scoutmaster of Troop 315. When asked why he has been so dedicated to local Scouting, Johnson replied, “Because my own experience as a Boy Scout taught me to… Be Prepared… for my life ahead, and I wanted that same experience for my sons and other boys. I made a promise on my sacred honor when I was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout, that I would always support Scouting in my community.”
Expanding its footprint in community service, the Newtown Square Fire Company charted a Boy Scout Troop in January 1943. Presumably, Newtown Troop 2. This event would have a future impact on a member of the community. During the Newtown Square Fire Company Banquet in April of 1937, one of the goals of the fire company was to take a more active interest in the young men of the community. By December of that year, the Scouts had moved in. Some troops charted by local churches and even one by the Newtown Township School District used the firehouse as a meeting location.
In exchange for using the firehouse, the scouts performed different jobs around the building, such as grading the back lot area and building a closet or two. Similar to what the scouts do today at locations across the country.
The Fire Company would be the charter organization for the Boy Scouts in the Newtown Square area until 1951. As with many scout troops today, storage of camping equipment and other items is always a concern. In 1950s Newtown Square they were competing for space with the ever-growing fire company. With a mutual agreement, the Scouts started to look for more space. They found that space with the help of the Rotary Club of West Chester Pike.
The charter was then switched to the Rotary Club of West Chester Pike, with meetings taking place at Messiah Lutheran Church under the direction of Scoutmaster Robert Allison, Sr. One of the young boys in the troop at the time was his son Robert Allison, who eventually became Chief and President of the Newtown Square Fire Company.
This Boy Scout Troop is still alive and well. Having changed its charter organization a few times over the years, it is the current Troop 122 Newtown Square/Broomall, and they meet at St. Marks United Methodist Church.
Several other troops in our community over the years have since closed their chapters. In January of 1952, Rev. L. Phillip Samuelson was the first Scoutmaster of Troop 121, which met at the First Baptist Church on West Chester Pike, just past Bishop Hollow Road. Records indicate they continued strong into the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Troop 533 met at the Presbyterian Church on Goshen Road in the 1950s. They had their first Eagle Scout Court of Honor in July of 1962. James J. Donnon became their first Eagle Scout at the age of 14. He had earned 24 Merit Badges, three more than the required 21. Troop 533 was still turning out Eagle scouts in the 1980s. They also had an Explorer Post (now called Venture Scouts), and Marple Police had an Explorer Post as well in the 1970s and 80s.
Also turning out Eagle Scouts was Troop 237, which met at St. Alban’s Episcopal church. They also offered another element of scouting, the Sea Scouts, and hosted Ship 327 and Cub Pack 327. Troop 147, which met at the Immanuel Church of the Brethren on Darby Paoli Road, was chartered in 1964 and lasted a few years.
As the scouting movement grew in size and popularity, many troops also had Cub Scout Packs for boys in grade school. Alice Grim School had a standalone Cub Pack, Pack 422, up to when it closed in the 1970s.
Currently, Troop 122 has 85 scouts that have reached the rank of Eagle, the highest level in Scouting. Troop 315 has many Eagle Scouts, but their list only includes Eagle Scouts after 1967. Presumably, in the four decades before that, a few earned the rank of Eagle during the hay day of Scouting. They are in the process of researching and updating their records.
As I was concluding my research of newspaper articles, I discovered that Sun Oil Labs charted an Explorer post in 1964 that focused on Science. That post met at the Sun Oil location on Bishop Hollow Road, hidden behind the cornfields, which, oddly enough, is where this whole story began.
There are several Cub Scouts and Boy Scout Troops in the area. Visit www.BeAScout.org to find one. The Girls Scouts also have active troops in the community. That information can be found at www.MyGS.girlscouts.org.
Publisher’s Note: Preston Tyrrell grew up in Newtown Square and while attending St. Anastasia School and Marple Newtown High School, was a Boy Scout of Troop 315. Now a teacher of Business and Video Production classes at Ridley High School, Preston is also father to son Alex and daughter Avery. Having served as a Cub Scout leader, Preston is currently a leader of Radnor Troop 284, where his daughter and her fellow female Scouts, are now on their trail towards earning their rank of Eagle Scout. Thank you Preston, for your support of Scouting and our community, by writing this feature for our hometown magazine and for still serving your community in uniform as a volunteer with the Newtown Square Fire Department.
If you have an idea for a feature story you feel passionate about and may even be interested in writing the feature that would carry your byline in Newtown Square Friends & Neighbors, email Sheila Turner-Hilliard at: STurnerHilliard@BestVersionMedia.com.