Editor’s note: This story was originally published on Aug. 1, 2024.
A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives.
Aug. 1, 1907, a weeklong boys’ camping event began on Brownsea Island in southern England, organized by Robert Baden-Powell; the event is now marked as the beginning of the Scout movement.
According to Deseret News archived stories, an Episcopal minister in Logan organized Utah’s first troop in 1910, the same year as the Scouts first appeared in the Eastern United States.
Minister John Paul Jones, originally from England, started the Cache Valley Scout troop, Davis said. The Boy Scouts originated in England under the guidance of Lord Robert Baden-Powell in 1909.
On May 21, 1913, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ 15-month-old “MIA Scout” program was officially invited to join the Boy Scouts of America. This gave Utah its first widespread Scouting movement.
Utah and Western states have enjoyed long and cooperative relationships with the Boy Scouts of America currently headquartered in Irving, Texas. Through the years, hundreds of thousands of Scouts participated in the varied programs, camps and jamborees. Whether you attained your Eagle or were stuck as a Life Scout for life, the Boy Scouts have been a part of the fabric of the state, helping with food drives and service projects, service that continues today.
On May 8, 2018, the Church of Jesus Christ announced it would end its partnership with the Scouts at the end of 2019 — a span of 105 years — and create a new initiative to meet the needs of young people in a global church.
Today there are more than 5,000 Scouts in the state.
Here are some wonderful stories from the Deseret News archives about the Scouting movement in Utah and the West:
“Scouting celebrates rich anniversary”
“Utah Scouts join World Jamboree in England”
“Scouts to note 100th anniversary”
“Timeline: A look at the relationship between the LDS Church and Scouting”
An old Boy Scout handbook. | Church History Department
“From a Scouting lifer: The Boy Scouts are still alive and well in Utah”
“Rare, old Scouting document donated”
“Collecting Boy Scouts memorabilia”
“Breaking up is hard to do: LDS, Boy Scouts partnership won’t be easy to disentangle”
“Girl Scouts, welcome to Boy Scouts”
