Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection open for research. One folder restricted until 1 January 2052. "Applications to Become a Scout" and "Scout Medical and Health Records" contain privacy protected information such as health histories and medical information. Access to these records by the general public is restricted for 72 years after the creation of the records. Until 1 January 2052, access to one folder in this collection is limited to the subject of the record (the scout); the duly qualified conservator or guardian of the subject of the record; the next-of-kin, if the scout is deceased (The next of kin may be the following: surviving spouse that has not remarried; father, mother, son, daughter, sister, or brother); the duly qualified executor or administrator of the estate of the subject of the record; an attorney, attorney-in-fact, or other agent or representative of any of the persons described above, acting pursuant to a written power-of-attorney or other written authorization; or a duly authorized representative of an agency or instrumentality of federal, state, or local government seeking the record in the ordinary course of performing its official duties.

Use Restrictions

No physical characteristics affect use of this material.

Preferred Citation

James P. Roberts Photograph Collection (VC 0019), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA..

Acquisition Information

James P. Roberts, Leesburg, VA

Alternative Form Available

None

Accruals

2012.0058

Processing Information

Molly Chamblin and Elizabeth E. Preston, 17 January 2013

Historical Information

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) incorporated in 1910 and was modeled on the British Boy Scout Association. There were several youth and scouting organizations operating in the first decade of the 20th century, including the Woodcraft Indians and the Sons of Daniel Boone, which merged with the BSA to form a dominant scouting group with an emphasis on camping, outdoor activities, and Native American lore.

For administrative purposes, the BSA is divided into geographic regions on the national level, and further subdivided into area councils, districts, and, finally, into troops. Each troop is individually chartered by the BSA with a sponsoring institution, often a church, fraternal lodge, or a parent-teacher association.

In 1960, James P. Roberts, a native of Loudoun County, founded Troop 1168 in Middleburg. The troop was part of the Blue Ridge District, which included both Loudoun and Fauquier Counties. Troop 1168 initially operated as a troop for African American boys. Integration had been a controversial subject in the BSA since its founding and decisions about it were not made at the national level, but were left to the individual troops. Troop approaches to integration, therefore, usually strongly resembled the approaches used by the communities in which they operated. Troops in the Northeast and on the West Coast began integrating much earlier than troops in parts of the Midwest and South, for instance. Troop 1168 had been an all-African American troop, but in 1967 Roberts decided to allow any boy who applied for membership to join, resulting in the first integrated BSA troop Loudoun County.

Troop 1168 still exists today. Because of reorganization of districts due to shifts and growth in the population of Northern Virginia, the troop is in the Goose Creek District.

Scope and Content

This collection contains the administrative records of Boy Scout Troop 1168. Included are troop rosters, record books, charters, applications for merit badges and advancement, as well information about camps. Photographs document activities of the troop, including Camps Goshen and Marriott, Swim-o-rees, and Hike-o-rees. There are 114 photographs in a wide variety of sizes. The large format photographs are housed in a folder with the manuscript collection. Other, small format, photographs are sleeved and housed in a separate box. There are four banners, three of which are made of tanned animal hides, a plaque from Camp Marriott, and three trophies. There is also a folder of material about Willie Davis, a committee chairman of Troop 1168. Davis died in 1970 and the troop named its meeting room in his honor.

Arrangement

Folder

Adjunct Descriptive Data

Bibliography

"African Americans in the Boy Scout Movement." African American Registry, www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/african-american-boy-scout-movement (accessed 15 January 2013).

Boy Scouts of America, www.scouting.org (accessed 15 January 2013).

Boy Scout Troop 1168 Records, 1965-1980 (M 082), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA.

James P. Roberts Photograph Collection (VC 0019), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA.

Leister, Harvey J. A History of Boy Scout Troops 161 in Fauquier County Virginia, 1938-2010 . Warrenton, VA: Piedmont Press, 2010.

Robert, James P. Interview with Elizabeth E. Preston. 16 January 2013.