Country's First Eagle Scout Named in RVC 100 Years Ago Tuesday

On Aug. 21, 1912, the Boys Scouts of America (BSA) named its very first Eagle Scout, Arthur Rose Eldred, based out of Troop 1 in Rockville Centre.

According to Gary Twite of the BSA:

There was a troop of American Boy Scouts (an early rival to the BSA which had as its benefactor William Randolf Hearst), in nearby Rockville Centre, NY. The methods of the ABS revolved around military drills, which this troop held in the Rockville Centre Club.

However, Twite said that Arthur's brother, Hubert Eldred, "was so impressed with the ideals of the BSA that he decided to form what was to become BSA Troop 1 of Rockville Centre, N.Y., in November 1910, and served as its scoutmaster."

After completing the required 21 merit badges, first national scout executive James E. West notified Arthur that he would be the BSA's first Eagle Scout in a letter dated Aug. 21, 1912.

In this letter, West informed him that the Eagle badge would be presented at a later date. A primary reason for this was that the dies for the badge had not yet been made. Eldred received the actual badge on Labor Day 1912.