Thursday, October 1, 2026
A parade celebrating the 100th anniversary of the nation’s first Eagle Scout, Arthur R. Eldred, from Rockville Centre Boy Scout Troop 1, is set for Sept. 8 at 10 a.m.
Parade participants, including units from the Theodore Roosevelt Council of Boy Scouts of America and the National Eagle Scout Association, local Scouting leaders, Eldred family members and local officials, will step off from Municipal Parking Field 2 on Randall Avenue. They will head north to Eldred Park, on the corner of North Centre Avenue and Parkwood Court, where a ceremony will commemorate the impact that the Boy Scouts have had on millions of boys across the nation. The public is invited to join in the celebration.
Eldred received his Eagle award on Aug. 21, 1912. Since then, more than 100 million boys have become Boy Scouts, but only 2 million have achieved the rank of Eagle. Eldred was born in Brooklyn, but moved to Long Island after his father died, and became a member of Troop 1 in November 1910 — eight months after Scouting began in the U.S. He advanced through the ranks, and less than two years after he joined, he became an Eagle Scout.
“The Boy Scouts of America is a youth-centered organization with a long, impressive history,” said Jay Garee, CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Council of the Boy Scouts of America. “I find it gratifying to be a part of its mission during this particular year as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Eagle Scout award with a parade and other festivities. Every Boy Scout, regardless of their rank, has the opportunity to make friends, take part in wholesome activities and prepare to be a leader and responsible citizen. For 100 years scout leaders, families and friends have encouraged and supported boys on Long Island in their efforts to follow Arthur R. Eldred’s example and work to achieve the rank of Eagle.”
