Scout to the end. (The Goodness of America).(George E. Freestone, world's oldest Boy Scout, dies at age 104, February, 2003)(Obituary)

The scouting movement was founded in England in 1907 by Lt. General Robert S.S. Baden-Powell. In 1909, Chicago newspaper publisher William D. Boyce lost his way in a dense London fog. A young Scout came to his aid, and, after guiding him to his destination, refused a tip. The youngster explained that he would not accept a reward for doing a good deed. That selfless gesture inspired Boyce to contact Baden-Powell to discuss the scouting program, and on February 8, 1910, Boyce incorporated the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) in the United States.

One of the earliest Scouts was George Freestone, who joined that year in Los Angeles at age 12. He died on February 13th of this year at age 104. He was our nation's (and possibly the world's) oldest Scout.

George E. Freestone was born in Safford, Arizona, on July 28, 1898. On one occasion when he was nine, he made the trip from his hometown to Bisbee, Arizona, in a covered wagon. The journey (about 100 miles) took four days. Also when he was nine, he and his family moved to Los Angeles. In later years, George often reminisced about how he persuaded his mother to spend $4 for his first scout uniform: a Canadian Mountie-style hat, a shirt, breeches, and leggings. He also enjoyed discussing the Wild West show that William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody put on for his troop, and the opportunity he had to shake hands with legendary inventor Thomas Alva Edison.

The Freestones returned to Arizona when George was 15. He spent much of his adult life raising ...