Lord Robert S. S. Baden-Powell served in the British army as a general and became famous for his leadership in a war in South Africa between Britain and Dutch settlers there.  Upon returning to England, Baden-Powell decided to use his fame to help boys become better men and to have fun doing so.

In 1907, Baden-Powell brought together 22 boys to camp at Brown Sea Island, off the coast of England.  This historic campout was a success and resulted in the advent of Scouting.  Thus, the imagination and inspiration of Baden-Powell, later proclaimed Chief Scout of the World, brought Scouting to youth the world over.  Baden-Powell wrote a book entitled Scouting for Boys.  Boys who read the book wanted to join and did.

In 1909, Chicago publisher William D. Boyce lost his way in a dense London fog. A boy came to his aid and, after guiding the man, refused a tip, explaining that as a Scout he would not take a tip for doing a Good Turn. This gesture by an unknown Scout inspired a meeting with Robert Baden-Powell, the British founder of the Boy Scouts. As a result, William Boyce incorporated the Boy Scouts of America on February, 8, 1910.   He was assisted by a group of businessmen, educators and political leaders. 

1910

• The Boy Scouts of America was incorporated.
  • February 8, 1910
  • Under the laws of the District of Columbia.
• Founders of Scouting:
  • William D. Boyce, incorporator
  • Colin H. Livingstone, president
  • Daniel Carter Beard, national Scout commissioner
  • Ernest Thompson Seton, Chief Scout
  • James E. West, Chief Scout Executive
  • President William Howard Taft, honorary president
  • Former President Theodore Roosevelt, honorary vice president and Chief Scout Citizen

• National Council office opened, January 2.
  • 200 Fifth Avenue, New York City
  • 7 employees
• First annual meeting
  • At the White House, Washington, D.C.
  • Addressed by President Taft
• The Scout Oath, Scout Law, badges, and fundamental policies were adopted
• National Court of Honor presented the first awards for heroism: 22 Bronze Medals

• First Eagle Scout, August 12
  • Arthur Eldred
• First national civic Good Turns were performed
  • Promotion of a safe and sane Fourth of July
• Sea Scouting began
• Boys life became the official BSA magazine – still published today.

• First William T. Horanday gold medal for the conservation of wildlife.
  • A Scout can earn this achievement with a lengthy project based on sound scientific principles and guided by a conservation professional or a well-versed layperson can qualify for one of the Hornaday Awards. The awards often take months to complete, so activities should be planned well in advance.

• Scoutings full resources were placed at the service of the government to help win the war.
• Sold Liberty bonds and war savings stamps totaling more than $355 million.
• Collected 100 railroad cars full of nutshells and peach pits for gas mask manufacturing
• Distributed more than 300 million pieces of government literature
• Aided in food and fuel conservation projects
• Planted 12,000 Boy Scout war gardens

• First World Jamboree, 1920
  • London, England
  • 8,000 Scouts from 34 countries were present
  • 301 BSA members attended
• The international left handclasp was adopted, 1923
• Northern Tier high-adventure base began offering canoe adventures, 1923
• Every Scout a Swimmer program began, 1924
• Second world jamboree, 1924
  • Copenhagen, Denmark

• Cub Scout program was formally launched in 1930.  Avon current has two Cub Scout Packs – Pack 122 and Pack 274.
• In 1934 President Roosevelt called for help from the Scouts for the distressed and needy.
• Scout membership passes 1 million.
• First national jamboree in 1937

• Included 69 specific requests from the government
• Collected 30 million pounds of rubber during a two-week drive
• 20,000 Scouts earned the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Medal for Victory Gardens
• Distributed pledge cards for war bonds and savings stamps
• Distributed stamp posters
• Collected aluminum, wastepaper, and salvage
• Conducted defense housing surveys
• Distributed air-raid posters
• Served as messengers and dispatch bearers
• Assisted emergency medical units
• Served as fire watchers

• Second national jamboree, 1950
  • Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
  • 47,163 Scouts and leaders attended
• First Boy Scout stamp issued by the U.S. Post Office Department, 1950
• 2 million pounds of clothing collected for domestic and foreign relief, 1952
• Distributed more than a million posters and 30 million Liberty Bell doorknob hangers in the Get-Out-the-Vote campaign, 1952
• 20-millionth member joined, 1952
• Third national jamboree, 1953
  • Irvine Ranch, California
  • 45,401 Scouts and leaders attended
• Boys’ Life circulation passed 1 million, 1954
• National office moved to New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1954
• More than 100,000 units, 1954
• More than 1 million adult volunteers, 1954
• Fourth national jamboree, 1957
  • Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
  • 50,100 Scouts and leaders attended
• 15 millionth copy of the Handbook for Boys, 1957

• Scouting’s Golden Jubilee, 1960
• Fifth national jamboree, 1960
  • Colorado Springs, Colorado
  • 53,378 Scouts and leaders attended
• Johnston Historical Museum
  • Dedicated June 4, 1960
  • New Brunswick, New Jersey
• Sixth national jamboree, 1964
  • Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
  • 52,000 Scouts and leaders attended
• 500,000th Eagle Scout honored, 1965
• 40 millionth member registered, 1965
• BSA hosted the 12th world jamboree, 1967
  • Farragut State Park, Idaho
  • 12,000 Scouts and leaders from 107 countries attended
• First female Explorers, 1969
• Seventh national jamboree, 1969
  • Farragut State Park, Idaho
  • 35,000 youth and leaders attended

• Troop 274 in Avon, CT is founded.

1970–1979

• Scouting Keep America Beautiful Day
  • June 5, 1971
  • Scouts collected more than a million tons of litter
• National Eagle Scout Association formed, 1972
• Eighth national jamboree at two sites, 1973
  • Moraine State Park, Pennsylvania
  • Farragut State Park, Idaho
  • 64,000 youth and leaders attended
• Ninth national jamboree, 1977
  • Moraine State Park, Pennsylvania
  • 28,600 Scouts and leaders attended
• National office moved to Irving, Texas, 1979

• 30 millionth Cub Scout, 1980
• Florida National High Adventure Sea Base was opened for Scouts, 1980 
• 10th national jamboree, 1981
  • Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia
  • 30,000 Scouts and leaders attended
• The 1 millionth Eagle Scout, 1982
  • Alexander M. Holsinger
• 75th anniversary, 1985
  • Theme: “Pride in the Past ... Footsteps to the Future"
• 11th national jamboree, 1985
  • Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia
  • 32,615 Scouts and leaders attended
• First Scouting for Food National Good Turn, 1988
  • More than 60 million food items were collected
• 12th national jamboree, 1989
  • Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia
  • 33,000 Scouts and leaders attended

• Learning for Life established, 1991
  • Character-building program for the classroom
  • 700,000 youth participated in the first year
• 13th national jamboree, 1993
  • Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia
  • 33,000 Scouts and leaders attended
• 13th national jamboree, 1993
  • Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia
  • 26,000 Scouts and leaders attended
• 14th national jamboree, 1997
  • Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia
  • 35,000 Scouts and leaders
• Coed program, Venturing, was launched for youth 14 to 20 years old.

• The 100-millionth youth member, 2000
  • Mario Castro
• 15th national jamboree, 2001
  • Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia
  • 40,000 youth and leaders attended
• National Scouting Museum was built, 2002
  • 50,000-square-foot facility
  • Next to the national office in Irving, Texas
• 16th national jamboree, 2005
  • Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia
  • 43,000 Scouts and leaders attended
  • Troop 274 sends a contingent
• August 2006 Troop 274 sends a crew of 20 to Sea Base for a Bahamas tall ships adventure.
• ArrowCorps5, 2008
  • In cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service
  • 3,600 Scouts and adult volunteers participated
  • $5.6 million worth of improvements made to national parks
• June 2009 Troop 274 celebrates its 40^th anniversary.
• July 2009 Troop 274 sends Scouts on a high adventure trek to Philmont Scout Ranch and on a 62 mile canoe trek in the Adirondacks.
• August 2009 Troop 274 sends two scouts and two adults to NOAC – National Order of the Arrow Conference – in Indiana at Indiana University.
• The 2 millionth Eagle Scout, 2009
  • Anthony Thomas

• The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve, 2009
  • The single largest gift ever made to the BSA
  • Near Beckley, West Virginia
  • Future home for:
    • Scouting Leadership and Training Center
    • National Scout Jamboree – planned site of 2013 National Jamboree

• Scouting's 100th Anniversary, 2010
  • 100^th Anniversary of Scouting Jamboree Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia
  • Troop 274 sends 15 Scouts and five adults from the Troop participated in the week long jamboree.  Other Scouts and adults made day trip visits.
• Boy Scout stamp issued.
• Summer 2010 Troop 274 is planning to send 18 Scouts and 2 adult leaders to Seabase for a tall ship said in the Florida Keyes.
• Summer 2010 Troop 274 is sending Scouts and adults to Medicine Mountain Scout Ranch in  South Dakota.