Grayson County TXGenWeb

The Denison Herald
Sunday Morning, June 25, 1972
Pg. 16B

VAN ALSTYNE HAD FIRST SCOUT UNIT
Two Grayson County Boy Scout groups share a spot in history - Van Alstyne which had the first unit, and Bells which held its organization together to be the oldest continuous group.

Earlier this year, Van Alstyne marked the 60th birthday of scouting in that city. The first group was organized in 1912, just two years after Scouting originated, with W.F. Barnett as Scoutmaster, making it one of the first in Texas. The unit issued its first Eagle Scout badge in 1930 to John Taylor followed by Rea Nunnallee.

At Bells, Eldridge Craig, who operated a confectionery, became the first Scoutmaster when boys who hung around his store read about the national movement and urged him to head up a Bells unit. It was chartered July 6, 1922.

Craig admitted that the Van Alstyne unit was the first in Grayson County, but noted that the organization was recognized later, causing Craig to lay claim to the oldest troop title. The log cabin used by Bells Scouts was a landmark for years, having been built out of cottonwood logs from Red River bottoms.