History

The Scouting Movement was started in 1907 by Robert Baden-Powell, a lieutenant-general in the British Army.  While serving abroad, Baden-Powell wrote several military books on reconnaissance and scout training.  He later discovered many of his books were being read by boys.  Inspired by this, Baden-Powell wrote the book Scouting For Boys, published in 1908, specifically for youth readership.  

During the writing of this book he tested his ideas with a camping trip on Brownsea Island in Southern England with the local Boys’ Brigade and sons of his friends.  This camping trip began on August 1, 1907 and is now seen as the beginning of the Boy Scouts.  Baden-Powell formally founded the Boy Scouts as an organization in 1908.

In the book Scouting For Boys, Baden-Powell describes the Scout method of outdoor activities aimed at developing character, citizenship, reverence and personal fitness qualities among youth.  Scouts should be helpful; understand their society, heritage and culture; have respect for the rights of others; and be positive leader-citizens.  Many boys joined Scouting activities, resulting in the movement growing rapidly and becoming the world’s largest youth organization.

In 1909, while visiting London, Chicago publisher W. D. Boyce became lost. An unknown Scout came to his aid, guiding him to his destination.  The boy refused Boyce’s tip, explaining that he was a Boy Scout and was merely doing his daily good turn.  Impressed by this boy’s action, Boyce investigated the Scouting organization.  Boyce became so impressed with the organization that upon his return to America, he and other prominent leaders founded the Boy Scouts of America on February 8, 1910.

As knowledge of Scouting began to spread, more local organizations became interested in organizing local youth into Scouting units. During the summer of 1911, Reverend Charles M. Watson, minister of First Christian Church in Norfolk, helped organize Troop 1.

In August 1911, Troop 1 held its first campout at a government reservation in the Ocean View area of Norfolk (on what is now part of the Sarah Constant Shrine on Ocean View Avenue.) Mr. A. Roy Williams served as the first Troop 1 Scoutmaster, while Reverend Watson and Mr. J. G. Holladay served as the first Troop Committee members. On September 11, 1911, Troop 1 was officially chartered by the BSA with Mr. M. H. McArdle serving as the Troop’s first official Scoutmaster. 

The BSA stated purpose at its incorporation in 1910 was “to teach [boys] patriotism, courage, self-reliance, and kindred values”.  The current mission statement of the BSA is “to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law”

By the early 1950s, the Ghent neighborhood fell into a period of gradual decline. Then, in the 1960s, the city of Norfolk approved a major redevelopment plan to revitalize the neighborhood. Starting in the 1970s, many homes around the church were demolished as part of that redevelopment, and the Troop literally ran out of boys to fill its ranks. In 1974, the Troop was temporarily disbanded. But First Christian Church kept Troop 1’s charter alive in the hopes that it would once again become an active Troop.

In 1985, Mr. Jeff Christian heard about Troop 1. At the time he was an Assistant Scoutmaster with another troop, but was looking for a troop of his own to lead. He heard that First Christian Church wanted to bring back Troop 1, so he volunteered to be the Scoutmaster. In September 1985, Troop 1 was officially re-activated under the sponsorship of First Christian Church.

In 2010, Troop 1 rechartered under Trinity Presbyterian Church following First Christian Church’s move from Norfolk to Virginia Beach.

Today, Troop 1 continues to offer a traditional scouting experience to youth of Scouting age (11-17).  Service, community engagement, and leadership development have become increasingly important parts of the program as youth lead their own activities and work their way toward earning Scouting’s highest rank, Eagle Scout. Since 1911, Troop 1 has produced over 120 Eagle Scouts and has had thousands of youth pass through its ranks.