1st boy scout troop of Texarkana, Texas, Arkansas

Old Troup 1 Has Birthday

Old "Troop1," Texarkana's first Boy Scout Troop, is expected to observe the 40th anniversary of the organization at a reunion Saturday night at Hotel McCartney.  According to Wilbur Smith, troop scribe, the troop has held annual reunions since 1930 and has maintained a continuous attendance record since 1934.  W. H. Riley, who was scoutmaster of the troop, is always the center of attention at the reunions.  About 17 out of town members are expected to attend the meeting, with one member coming from as far away as Minnesota.  Texarkana Gazette Sat. 10/16/1954

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THEY REMEMBER WHEN – Members of Texarkana’s first Boy Scout troop, Troop No. 1, held their 40th anniversary meeting Saturday night at Hotel McCartney. The troop was organized on October 14, 1914, and really introduced the Boy Scout movement to this city. Pictured above are the members of old Troop 1 who were able to be present at the annual reunion: James Beasley, Texarkana; Joe Berryman, Elkhart, Ind.; Thad Bryant, Houston; James Buchanan, Texarkana; M. L. Cashion, Houston; Hugh Cavitt, Texarkana; Dr. S. A. Collom, Texarkana; Joe H. Friedman, Amarillo; Howard Fuqua, Texarkana; Robert Hawley, Dallas; Sherley Heath, San Antonio; F. H. Jones, Jr., Newport, Ark.; Henry Lewis, Texarkana; Clarence Lofton, Shreveport; E. W. Martin, Hendrix College, Conway, Ark.; Alfred Tennyson, Texarkana; Robert Maxwell, Texarkana; Allen Moore, Ft. Worth, Texas; Howard Fugua, Texarkana; Caleb Moss, Texarkana; John Murphy, Longview; David Nelson, Texarkana; Marcus Powell, San Angelo; W. H. Riley, Texarkana; Morris Scherer, Shreveport; Hubert Slimp; Edward Smith, Houston; Wilbur Smith, Texarkana; Mannie Stevens, Texarkana; Ira Sublett, Fairmont, Minnesota; Temple Webber, Diboll, Texas, and Runnels Willis, Texarkana. 

Boy Scouts Were Established Here Despite Local Opposition 

You probably wouldn’t believe it, but 40 years ago, W. H. Riley of Texarkana spent a large amount of his time trying to convince local residents that the Boy Scout program was not a military organization. 

But Riley, who served as Scoutmaster of the first Scout troop organized in Texarkana (Troop 1) – organized on Oct. 14, 1914 – wore down resistance to the Boy Scout movement, which was about two years old in the United States at that time. 

And Saturday night, some of those “good old days” were recalled, when some 35 members of Troop 1 got together at the McCartney Hotel for the 40th anniversary meeting. 

Scouting is a big operation these days but back in 1914 it was no easy go. The troop had a hard time finding a place to meet, but the Episcopal church permitted the use of its Parish house on West 5th, directly behind the church. Philip Weary, son of the rector at that time, was a member of the troop and is now living in California. 

Troop 1 functioned for about four or five years and then disbanded, but Riley had gained an assistant Scoutmaster, Wainright Martin, who is now business manager of Hendrix College at Conway, Ark. 

A Texarkana Council was then formed and there were four or five more troops organized with Riley as the first commissioner. Troop 1 began regular meetings again in 1930, although it was not an “official troop” because the members were too old, but a continuous attendance record has been made at the reunions since 1934. 

There are 52 members of Troop 1 carried on the rolls, with 17 out-of-town members, one as far away as Minnesota – Ira Sublett, who lives in Fairmont. 

Troop members listed include: Dr. Lennox Baker, Durham, N. C.; James Beasley, Texarkana; Joe Berryman, Elkhart, Ind.; Omar Berryman, Glendale, Calif.; Thad Bryant, Jr., Houston, Texas; James A. Buchanan, Jr., Texarkana; M. L. Cashion, Houston, Texas; Will D. Carraway, Tempe, Ariz.; Hugh Cavitt, Texarkana; Dr. S. Allen Collom, Jr., Texarkana; ; John Cook, Kansas City, Kansas; Harris Cooper, Beaumont, Texas. 

Treher Firmin, Waco, Texas; Joe H. Friedman, Amarillo, Texas; Dr. Jack E. Frost, New Boston, Texas; Howard Fuqua, Texarkana; Harris A. Gaines, New York City; Earl Godbold, Jr., St. Louis, Mo.; Hal Hannon, Texarkana, Texas; Robert Hawley, Dallas; Clarence (Jack) Hanes, Paramount, Calif.; Sherley Heath, San Antonio, Texas; J. W. Hughes, Oklahoma City; F. H. Jones, Jr. of Newport, Ark.; Joe Kirby, Texarkana; Henry Lewis, Texarkana; Clarence Lofton, Shreveport; Eugene McElvaney, Ventura, Calif. 

E. W. Martin, Conway, Ark.; Robert Maxwell, Texarkana; Allan Moore, Fort Worth; Caleb Moss, Texarkana; Wallace Mullen, San Antonio; John Murphy, Longview, Texas; David Nelson, Texarkana; Marcus Powell, San Angelo, Texas; W. H. Riley, Texarkana; Morris Scherer, Shreveport; Craig Shuptrine, Memphis, Tenn.; Hubert Slimp, San Antonio. 

Edward Smith, Houston; Wilbur Smith, Texarkana; Mannie Stevens, Texarkana, Ira Sublett, Fairmont, Minn; Alfred Tennison, Texarkana, Ark.; David Tilson, Texarkana; Jack Townsend; Harold Waterman, Dallas; Philip Weary, Arcadia, Calif.; Temple Webber, Diboll, Texas; Jules White, Houston; and Runnels (E. R.) Willis,Texarkana..

Article from Texarkana Gazette 10/17 or 18/1954  Typed up by Sue Killebrew

06/05/04