PHOTOS: 100 years of Boy Scouts in Fort Worth & North Texas from Star-Telegram archive
Matt Leclercq
The first Boy Scouts in North Texas took their oath more than a century ago. Today, the Longhorn Council serves 23 counties across the region, while the Boy Scouts of America’s national headquarters is in Irving.
Here are photos from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s archive that span 100 years of Scouting, from summer camps at Worth Ranch in Palo Pinto County to service projects, fundraisers and war efforts.
Feb. 7, 1959: Starting off Boy Scout week on Saturday by exhibiting camping skills, three scouts pitch a tent on the parkway of Circle Park Boulevard. They are, left to right, Joe Moore of 2902 North West 26th, Roy Messick of 2717 North West 31st and Eugene Johnson of 2817 North West 29th. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 25, 1950: Three who appeared in the Boy Scout Circus are, left to right, Billy Westbrook, David Patterson and Byron Christian, all of Cub Pack 88. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
March 2, 1968: Reginald Young, left, and Glen Williams, 10, give their Pinewood Derby racers a final check before their final race Friday night at the 1968 Cub Scout Olympics held by the Woodbine Trail District Longhorn Council of the Boy Scouts. Williams’ racer zoomed down the track for the winning trophy. The event was held in Harmon Recreation Center in Fort Worth and was attended by about 100 cub and boy scouts. Ron Heflin/Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
Dec. 15, 2001: Boy Scout Jeff Fruhwirt, left, takes a drink of water while Robert Cayou opens his canteen, as members of Troop 351 take a break on the hike to their new meeting place. Johnathan Olmos, James Trotchie and Josh Ordway sit on a fence behind them. The troop had grown too large for Blue Mound Lion’s Club and will now meet at Lake Worth United Methodist Church. Richard W. Rodriguez/Star-Telegram
July 26, 1944: Hirschel Kershman, left, son of Mrs. Bessie Kershman; Gilbert Friedson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Friedson, and Teddy Hendelman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Morris Hendelman, are liking their spinach at Worth Ranch Boy Scout camp. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
1918: Arlington Boy Scout Troop 1. Unknown
June 14, 1942: “These flags of the Allied Nations, borne by Boy Scouts, shared honors with ‘Old Glory’ Sunday evening at Elks’ Lodge-American Legion ceremonies at Burnett Park, which brought to a dramatic close the city’s first observance of a wartime Flag Day in 24 years.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
Dec. 23, 1944: Boy Scouts Harold Wayland, left, Clifford Yeldell and Guy Guyette of Troop 22 shoulder Goodfellow bundles of Christmas presents before loading them on a waiting truck. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
Oct. 27, 1999: Cullen Shipp, 3, watches as Jonathan Masterson shovels extra dirt onto a tree planted by members of Boy Scouts Den 3 Pack 307. The tree was planted in front of Spring Garden Elementary in Bedford. Paul Zoeller/SPECIAL TO THE STAR-TELEGRAM
May 11, 1945: Cub Scouts, left to right: Buddy Bruner, Jimmy Ginn, Victor Tinsley, Junior, Dan Creson, Dale Stephenson, John Cassidy and Donald Dean. Cub Scouts of Pack 3, Den 2, Horned Frog District, who received a blue ribbon for their handicraft exhibition last week. Pictured on the tables are some of their prize-winnings handicraft work. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
June 23, 1940: Boy Scouts at Worth Ranch. D.H.B. Todd, right. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
July 26, 1944: Saluting the flag at a retreat at Worth Ranch, Boy Scout camp near Palo Pinto, are Wayne Wilkins (left), son of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Wilkins and Fred Coffey Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Coffey, all of Denton, Texas. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
July 4, 1938: Catholics celebrate 4th of July with picnic at Lake Worth; Charles Edward Breen in Boy Scout uniform bandages a scratch on his sister’s arm (Patsy) while supervised by Dr. M.V. Creagan. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
June 19, 2002: Former members of Boy Scout Troup 17 gathered for a reunion at Worth Ranch in Palo Pinto, Texas. Jennifer Long/Special to the Star-Telegram
March 24, 2003: L.J. Hopkins, 9, a Webelo, was one of a few youths that started the initiative of tying patriotic ribbons to trees as a show of support for our troops at the Boy Scouts of America National Headquarters in Irving. M.L. GRAY/Fort Worth Star-Telegram
June 23, 1940: At the re-dedication ceremony of Worth Ranch, Boy Scout camp in Palo Pinto County, Scout Commissioner D.H.B. Todd, far right, inspects the pageant costumes of three scouts, from left, Charles Moore, of Arlington, dressed as a cowboy, Earl Finkle of Arlington Heights, Fort Worth, dressed as a woodsman, and George Dickey of Arlington, dressed in Native American attire. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
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Jan. 7, 2004: Oscar Sanchez, leader of the Scout 394 group, together with the children who gather every Saturday in Arlington to practice soccer and learn about the values and principles of the Boy Scouts. Jose L. Castillo
July 4, 1943: Pittman Mauldin and Charles Bowman of Fort Worth, and Bill Lynch of Weatherford, cross the hand-walk ladders at Worth Ranch Boy Scout Camp. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
July 26, 1944: Fishing in the Brazos River are Walter Spears, left, son on Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd B. Spears, and Eddie Wilkinson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ted Wilkinson, both of Fort Worth. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
Nov. 23, 1951: A teddy bear parade float, being pulled by Boy Scouts, among a crowd of people at the Christmas Parade on Seventh Street in Fort Worth. The parade was held in downtown Fort Worth on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
Feb. 20, 2017: When the GameStop Veteran Employee Resource Group wanted a flagpole and American flag for the company’s Grapevine headquarters, they collected more than $10,000 to pay for it. On President’s Day, company executives, associates and the group held brief dedication ceremony led by the Grapevine police, fire department and Boy Scout Troop 7 Honor Guards. Paul Moseley/Star-Telegram
March 19, 1954: Members of Cub Scout Den 1, Pack 49, Horned Frog District of the Longhorn Council of Boy Scouts, display puppets made for a skit presented to children at W.I. Cook Memorial Hospital Center for Children. They are, left to right, front row, Michael Smith, Kenneth Herburger and Pete Gray; back row, Burton Tims, Taber Chamberlain, Arthur Weinman and Ronald Greer. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
Oct. 24, 1950: Boy Scouts from Castleberry Methodist Church’s Troop 143 raised the UN flag at Castleberry School, before 1,500 students and teachers. Left to right are Richard Lee McKinney, 13, of 1200 Long; Rodger Wagner, 14, of 525 Bond, and Brooks Abbott, 12, of 106 Nursery Lane. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
July 10, 1950: Carl Jr., left, and Ronald Graner greet their mother, Mrs. Carl Graner, with a kiss at T&P Station. They both attended the Boy Scout Jamboree at Valley Forge, Penn., with 105 other Fort Worth Scouts. They are Eagle Scouts of Explorers Post 2017. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
May 30, 2022: Members of Longhorn Council troop 50, including Drake Callaway, 17, Carson Callaway, 15, Rob Muckleroy, 15, Samuel Meyn, 17, and Nickolas Brown, 15, retire the flag after the 93rd Fort Worth Memorial Day Service at Mount Olivet Cemetery. Bob Booth/Special to the Star-Telegram
July 4, 1943: Pat O’Hara and Bill O’Grady, crew captains, illustrate finer points of “gunnel jumping” at Worth Ranch Boy Scout camp. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
Feb. 8, 2000: Cub Scouts at Charlotte Anderson Elementary in Arlington salute as the flag is raised on the 90th anniversary of Scouting in the USA. From left, Chance Watkins, Andrew Haslam, Patrick Hayes, Tyler Temple, Steven Sutton, David Hayes and Danny Clark. Paul Moseley/STAR TELEGRAM
Dec. 24, 1965: Boy Scouts turned Santa’s helpers in readying a sea of sacks that Goodfellows filled for needy children. Among the helpers were Scouts Billy Carver, Explorer Larry Hyink, Explorer Billy Wilson and Scout Tommy Teter, left to right. Fort Worth Star-Telegram/UT Arlington Special Collections
Aug. 9, 1999: Boy Scout Corey Pemberton, 13, of Southlake carries some of the 1,880 items they collected into the GRACE Food Pantry in Grapevine. Troop 928 scouts, Pemberton and Phillip Flick, organized the donations for a service project. Mike Lewis/SPECIAL TO THE STAR-TELEGRAM
A group of Cub Scouts from Cub Scout Pack 231, represented by Kirkpatrick Elementary school students Dale Brown, 10, Anthony Earle, 9, and Marcus Jones, 9, who won the hula hoop race at the 1968 Cub Scout Olympics. The event was held by the Woodbine Trail District Longhorn Council of the Boy Scouts which took place in Harmon Recreation Center in Fort Worth and was attended by about 100 Cub and Boy Scouts. Ron Heflin/Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
Nov. 10, 2006: Sixth-graders Quentin Query, left, and DeShane Hall with Boy Scouts Troop 76 raise the flag as the student body at Little Elementary School in Arlington gathered for a Veteran’s Day ceremony. R. Jeena Jacob/STAR-TELEGRAM
1920: Arlington Boy Scout Band 1920 Courtesy, J.W. Dunlop Collection/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 8, 2006: The Boy Scouts of Southlake Troop 928 Longhorn Council led the opening parade in Southlake Town Square’s grand opening, which included several new stores, a hotel and movie theater. Bob Booth/SPECIAL TO THE STAR-TELEGRAM
Feb. 11, 1943: As a part of National Boy Scout Week, scouts will go door-to-door asking residents to bring books for the Victory Book Campaign to schools when they register for Ration Book 2, Feb. 24-27. Standing at the door is Mrs. R.C. Reynolds. The scouts collecting books are Patrick Finn and Billy Singleton, of Troop 31 at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
Sept. 27, 2015: “Troll Patrol” and Troop 32 Eagle Scouts (from left) Joe Trenton, 14; Nicholas Bellinger, 15; and Brad Greer, 14, with other members of their patrol at The Legacy at Bear Creek Assisted Living and Memory Care in Keller. “Troll Patrol” and Troop 32 Eagle Scouts built raised flower beds, a pergola and benches, and created a koi pond, as part of their Eagle Scout projects. A fourth Eagle Scout from the troop, Parth Purohit, created a rose garden around the flagpole in front of the facility. The 13-member “Troll Patrol,” all members of Boy Scout Troop 32 in Keller, are regulars at the facility, making improvements and helping residents with technology. They were awarded certificates and recognized for their contributions by the staff and residents. Ian McVea/Special to the Star-Telegram
July 8, 1953: Five Boy Scouts study the camera they will use to record events during the national Boy Scout Jamboree in California. The boys stopped in Fort Worth en route to the jamboree. Left to right, Ray Green, 13, of Cameron; Tommy Massey, 16, of Teague; Bob Cummings, 16, of Gatesville; Jim Martin of Teague, scoutmaster, and Jerry Gritter, 16, of Waco. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
Nov. 15, 2008: Scott Broder, 7, of Cub Scout Troop 456 of Colleyville, gets help on the archery range from David Dawson, district executive of the Longhorn Council, at the Council Camporee at Texas Motor Speedway RICHARD W. RODRIGUEZ/SPECIAL TO THE STAR-TELEGRAM
June 16, 1951: The National Guard Armory on E. Lancaster was a distribution point for dozens of U.S. flags with which Boy Scouts and Sea Scouts lined Lancaster for Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s entrance into the city. Handing them out is Art Miller, left, Horned Frog Boy Scout district commissioner, assisted by Scoutmaster Joe Waggoner, in uniform at right, and Buck Rosenthal, assistant scoutmaster, at Waggoner’s right. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
Feb. 13, 1954: Three members of Boy Scout Troop and Explorer Post 49 and the outdoor first aid display that helped them win first place in a scouting demonstration put on by the Horned Frog District of Longhorn Council. They are, left to right, Johnnie Grimmett, 2230 Mistletoe Dr.; Raymond Kinnear, 1651 Westmoreland, and Bill Miles, 2400 Park Pl. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 25, 1950: Cub Scouts in the cowboy scene of the annual Boy Scout Circus apply the branding iron to a “dogie” in front of their miniature chuck wagon. Left to right are Don Cole, Jimmy Hartman and Eddie MacConnell, all of Cub Pack 66. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 22, 1954: A small section of Boy Scouts scurry out of the Worth Theater to start their downtown ticket selling invasion. Tickets are for the scouting in Action Exposition to be held May 7-8 at Will Rogers Exhibit Building. Five hundred scout attended a pep rally before starting the ticket sales. Proceeds aid Worth Ranch. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
Dec. 23, 1952: The Goodfellows are filling the arms of children such as these. Here Kenneth Fallin, a Boy Scout helping with the Goodfellow deliveries, has to assist with this heavy sack. Its weight, however, meant it will be a Merry Christmas for these little children. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
June 18, 1988: Boy Scout John Rawls leads a group of Scouts in the Juneteenth parade along Rosedale in Fort Worth. Joe D. WIlliams/Fort Worth Star-Telegram
May 10, 1952: “More than 7,000 Scouts gave their best at Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum for the 14th annual Boy Scout Circus. Richard Laboon, center, is from Post 2016. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
July 28, 1941: Holding some of the aluminum pieces they collected from Everman, Texas, residents are seven Boy Scouts from Troop 120, with the Model T car that brought them to the Fort Worth collection center at Peter Smith Park. The aluminum donations will be used for the national defense program. Behind them is a pile of the aluminum collected so far. At the far left, front, is Cecil Corn, 11. Others, left to right, are Roy Thomas, 12 (directly behind Corn); Weldon Pittman, 13; Earl Ray Smithey, 10; Robert Lee Wylie, 12; Edwin Smithey, 13; and Billy Owen, 13. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
Feb. 14, 1942: At the annual meeting of the Fort Worth Council, Boy Scouts of America, at Will Rogers Auditorium, Jack Jackson, Raymond Worthington and James Irvine (left to right) were presented with Silver Beaver awards. They are wearing their scout uniforms and sashes that display all the badges they have earned. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
March 2, 1968: A group of children at the 1968 Cub Scout Olympics, held by the Woodbine Trail District Longhorn Council of the Boy Scouts, holding flags and various trophies. The event was held in Harmon Recreation Center in Fort Worth and was attended by about 100 cub and boy scouts. Cub Scout Pack 231, represented by Kirkpatrick Elementary school students Dale Brown, 10, Anthony Earle, 9, and Marcus Jones, 9, won the hoop race. Arbra King, 10, won the bowling competition and Robert Knox, 11, won the putting competition. Ron Heflin/Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
May 1, 1943: The Boy Scouts are holding the Merit Badge Show and Demonstration of Scouting War Skills at Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum. One of the many skills on display is fingerprinting. Scout Bobby Thomas, left, is making prints of Bill Pumphrey, while Scout Billy McLean, center, observes. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
June 24, 1950: Headed for Valley Forge and National Boy Scout Jamboree, these District 9 scouts and leaders from eight Southwest and West Texas counties stopped in Fort Worth for breakfast. Crouching left to right, Joe Paul Tupin, Comanche; Jerry Shugart, Stephenville; C. L. Pouncey, Brownwood, scoutmaster of Jamboree Troop Number 26; Lee R. Teason, Richland Springs, scoutmaster of Troop Number 27, and Clyde Mathews, Bangs. Standing, left to right, Arlie Merlin McAnelly Brown, Stephenville; Ray Hudson and Lathon Jernigan, both of Goldthwaite; Merlin McAnelly and Travis Herring, both of Lometa; Tony Kirk, San Saba; David Masner, Breckenridge, and Puddy Deen, Cisco. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
July 26, 1944: Charles Crabtree, right, waterfront director, instructs Danny Wier, left, son of Mrs. Mable McKinney Weir, and Bob Riedel (middle), son of Mr. and Mrs. A.F. Riedel, in canoeing. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
Oct. 11, 2001: A flag retiring ceremony at Gunn Junior High in Arlington, on a somber morning one month after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Boy Scouts Christian Torres, 11, of Troop 393; Rhys L’Roy, 12, of Troop 445; Tyler Smith, 12, of Troop 445; and Marco Ponti, 12, of Troop 445 hold the flag that had flown over the school for over two years. The ceremony was part of eighth-grade Explorer Scout Tim Jackson’s Eagle Scout project. PAUL MOSELEY/STAR-TELEGRAM
Oct. 16, 2000: Ernest Doclar, left, the chartered organization representative, and John Quinn Jr., a troop committee member and merit badge counselor, laugh as they look through a Boy Scouts history book at a meeting at St. Francis Catholic Church in Grapevine. Doclar has been a member of Troop 7 for 20 years, and Quinn has been with the troop off and on for almost 40 years. Brian E. Harkin/Special to the Star-Telegram
July 21, 1943: Boy Scouts from Troop 54 of St. Paul’s Methodist Church, Fort Worth, who collected $117 in one day for the Polio Fund, from left, Jerry McKown and Bobby Rawlings. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
Aug. 29, 2010: Tom Duston, 17, supervises Zach Gillilad, left, as their Boy Scout troop built six birdhouses. Tom is working on his Eagle Scout project by building birdhouses and placing them in Trophy Club park. Juan Guajardo/Special to the Star-Telegram
Nov. 15, 2008: Ryan Seltzer, 8, of Cub Scout Troop 937 of Southlake, tests his pinewood derby car at Council Camporee at Texas Motor Speedway. RICHARD W. RODRIGUEZ/Special to the Star-Rodriguez
MORE: Check out other historic photos from the Star-Telegram archives here, including:
