Boyce had gotten lost in London fog and was guided to his destination by an unnamed boy scout who declined a tip, explaining he was simply doing his duty. Intrigued, Boyce met with Robert Baden-Powell's scouting organization before returning to America to found a national version, which grew within decades into one of the largest youth organizations in the country.
The founding story of the Boy Scouts of America carries the flavor of legend, and much of it is disputed by historians, but the core is true: William Boyce, a wealthy Chicago publisher, was wandering through a thick London fog in 1909 when a boy approached and offered to guide him. When Boyce tried to tip the boy for his trouble, the boy refused, explaining he was a Scout and Scouts didn't accept payment for good turns.
Boyce was so struck by the encounter that he sought out the boy's scoutmaster and, eventually, Robert Baden-Powell, the British army officer who had founded the Scouting movement two years earlier based on his military training manual for young soldiers. Boyce returned to the United States determined to bring the movement home.
The organization he incorporated in Washington grew explosively, absorbing existing American woodcraft and outdoor youth groups. Within a decade it had hundreds of thousands of members and had become deeply woven into American civic life, producing a badge and rank system, an Eagle Scout honor, and alumni who would include astronauts, presidents, and business leaders.
Key people: William D. Boyce, Robert Baden-Powell