Arthur Rose Eldred

“ At the first rally which was held of the Boy Scouts of America in the City of New York at the 71st Regiment Armory in February 1911, our troop put on the most spectaculor demonstration in building a signal tower 20 feet high out of saplings and giving a demonstration of signalling. ”

“ The start of scouting in Oceanside was brought about by the fact that in Rockville Center in 1910 there was a troop of the American Boy Scouts, an organization which was sponsored to a large extent by William Randolph Hearst. ”

“ As a result of this demonstration, we were invited to visit a number of troops in Westchester County and in New York City and explained to them some of our activities.
I was awarded the Eagle Scout Badge in April, 1912. There was, of course, no local court of honor but I secured affidavits from local men who examined me on various subjects for merit badges. Later I was called in to the national headquarters where I was examined again by representatives of the national staff as they wanted me to be sure that I was properly qualified. Mr. ”