Troop 119: Oldest Scout group in state continues in Brookhaven
Published 12:00 pm Saturday, June 28, 2025
Troop 119 is the oldest continuously chartered Boy Scout troop in Mississippi, and the only one remaining in Lincoln County. Tracing its beginnings to 1909 in Natchez, it is as old as the incorporated Boy Scouts of America.
But it really began in England. D. W. Boyce, a newspaper man from Chicago, was visiting the country when he became lost on a walk and could not find his way back to his hotel. A young scout saw him and volunteered to help him get back to the hotel as simple his “good turn.” The helpfulness of that scout, along with his refusal to accept any reward, made Boyce want to find out all he could about the scouting movement there.
He brought that information home to where groups like Daniel Boone Boys, Camp Fire Boys, and the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) were already in existence. But there was no organized group. Boyce helped created a consolidated organization that became Boy Scouts of America in 1910.
In Mississippi, Brookhavenite C. H. Hamilton and an Episcopalian minister named Cran formed a group of scouts in 1909. When BSA was formed, they joined through the New Orleans Council and became officially recognized in 1910 as Troop 19.
The troop was renamed to Troop 119 after the Andrew Jackson Council of the BSA was formed. First Presbyterian Church sponsored the troop until 1938-1939, when its sponsorship was taken over by the Men’s Bible Class of First United Methodist Church, where it has remained since.
Troop members have become doctors, lawyers and professionals of many types. As of 2023, more than 125 scouts had earned the rank of Eagle in Troop 119.
“At one time, Brookhaven had four or five troops and four Cub packs,” said Big Creek District Commissioner Ed Schultz. Big Creek covers the area from Amite, Louisiana, as far north as Hazlehurst, and from Lincoln County as far east as Tylertown, “and everything in between.” There are more than a dozen units, including boys, girls, and Cub scouting groups.
But Just recently, the historic Brookhaven troop was on the verge of disbanding, Schultz said. The Scout Master was ready to step away and all the boys in the troop had reached Eagle status — the highest rank in BSA. No one else was coming along, so the future seemed bleak, if not nonexistent.
Pack 1248, a family pack of boys and girls, had four boys participating. In February 2025, they crossed over to become part of Troop 119. The next step was to get leadership.
Schultz met with the FUMC men’s group to discuss the need, and Pat Lowery stepped up to be Scout Master. His son Jack, an Eagle Scout from 119, became his assistant Scout Master.
Now, more scouts are needed. Anyone — boy or girl — can join scouting at age 12. If they have been already involved in the Cub Scouts (grades Kindergarten to 5th), they can enter as young as age 11. The maximum age is 18. Girls were allowed to join BSA in 2019, and the national organization was renamed to Scouting America.
There is no co-ed group in Lincoln County. The girls’ troop, 1248G, is sponsored by the Moose Lodge. They meet Mondays at 6:30 p.m. at the Moose Family Center in Brookhaven. Troop 119 — the boys — meet Mondays at 6 p.m. at the Scout Hut, behind FUMC. Cub Scouts meet twice monthly on Monday nights.
Schultz is encouraged as he sees more children and adults showing an interest in scouting. A recent pancake breakfast at the Veterans of Foreign Wars building in Brookhaven, put on by the girls’ troop, helped bring some attention to local scouts, and Schultz said the troops will have a tent at this fall’s Ole Brook Festival.
But interested parties do not have to attend an event to find out more.
“Just call me or the Andrew Jackson Council for more information. Or search ‘joint scouting’ online,” Schultz said. “If you have questions, come to a meeting and check it out.”
The district leadership conducts school rallies in the fall to let students know about scouting.
“Kids always want to know how they’re going to get to have fun,” Schultz said. “They also want to learn how to be better citizens and leaders; they have questions about advancement, etc. We have summer camps throughout June for a week at a time, and everything we do year-round is all very age-appropriate, both the activities and learning.”
For more information, contact: District Commissioner Schultz at 217-649-6395; Cub Master Johnathan Winborne at 601-320-1560; or Girls Scout Master Melissah Showes at 769-244-0630.
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