The Boy Scouts, or Scouting, officially began in 1908 in England after the publication of Robert Baden-Powell’s book, Scouting for Boys. Baden-Powell wrote this book as a nonmilitary field manual for a younger audience that also emphasized the importance of morality and good deeds. William Boyce, a Chicago publisher, brought this idea of Scouting back to the U.S. after a Boy Scout came to his aid when he was lost in a London fog. The Scout refused any sort of payment for doing a good deed. The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) was officially incorporated in 1910.

The first troop of Boy Scouts in Kenilworth formed in 1919 with Carl Keith as the first Scoutmaster. Carl Keith’s son, Elbridge, wrote to the National Scout Headquarters in New York City to establish the Scout Troop in Kenilworth and soon after became one of Troop 13’s first Scouts. Carl Keith served as Scoutmaster for two years until he was succeeded by Roy Jarrett and later by Bob Townley in 1922 who would remain scoutmaster for the next 33 years.