In honor of Scouting’s 100 years in the U.S., I call your attention to the stained glass window in Trinity Episcopal Church in Torrington, Connecticut, The Boy Scout Window:
Described at the church’s website:
This is one of Trinity’s most well-known windows.
It was dedicated on Boy Scout Sunday, 13 February 1966, a service of Morning Prayer that began with the hymn “We Thank You, Lord of Heaven.” The window was given “to the Glory of God and in living tribute to Troop 2 and Seymour F. Weeks on the 50th anniversary of the Troop, 1916-1966.”
Mr. Weeks had been scoutmaster of Troop 2 since 1934 and would continue to lead the troop until his death in 1967.
Troop 2 produced Torrington’s first Eagle Scout, Paul Pfistner, whose family donated another window at Trinity Church.
Behind the kneeling scout with the flag is the seal of the Episcopal Church and above that a hand raised in the scout hand sign. Flanking the Episcopal seal are the emblems of the First Class Scout and the Eagle Scout badge. The words of the Boy Scout oath form the background. The border is composed of ropes showing some of the knots Scouts must learn. In between the ropes are two of the Scout’s mottoes: Do a Good Turn Daily, and Be Prepared.
Obviously, this window does not follow the architect’s pictorial plan for a window here showing the Holy Family with Jesus as a child.
Although several of Trinity’s windows were made by Len Howard of Kent, CT, one of Mr. Howard’s former associates is nearly positive this window was not made by Mr. Howard. However, a current parishioner’s great uncle, who was on the vestry in 1966, recalls that the church was dealing with an artist in Kent, CT, and there were no other stained glass artists in Kent except for Len Howard. Until further proof one way or another, this window will be attributed to Len Howard of Kent.
To the best of my searching, Troop 2 appears to have vanished from Torrington.
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 
Scouting is much better now than it was in the 1940s and 1950s, or 1960-2000. Among other things, Scouting has the strongest system to protect Scouts from molesting of any institution.
Most of the Eagles I see and work with know much, much more about life and community service than top Scouts earlier.
Scouting’s canoeing merit badge no longer includes instructions on canoe shake outs to drain water in the middle of a lake — impossible with aluminum, fiberglass and most synthetic material canoes.
Addition of women as unit leaders in 1974 helped a lot, and the growth of Venturing to include women, and now Scouts and Cubs to include women, strengthened the family aspects of Scouting across the board.
What do you think has “degenerated?”
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It saddens me to think how much scouting has degenerated since this window was dedicated. It represents so much good we have sacrificed to our corrupt modern “culture”.
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Baden-Powell is considered the founder of Scouting in Britain, as well as the world-wide Scouting movement. A book he wrote for his Rangers in South Africa became a best-seller in England among boys, and he capitalized on that when he retired, pitching scout activities to boys, and founding the Scouts.
Why do you ask?
P.S. — see this window in a church in Baden-Powell’s English home town:
http://www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/community/history/Jamboree_2007_Gilwell_Park.asp
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Hey, Ed, I’ve been meaning to ask – out of curiosity, how much of a connection is there with Baden-Powell and the British Scouting movement?
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Mr. Sudlow, in the interest of history and promoting Scouting, perhaps you could get a good image of that window, and post it on the web?
I believe there are a dozen or more windows dedicated to Boy Scouts in the U.S., but finding them on the web is difficult. I wish more people would post images that have historic significance, where they can be found by people looking for that information.
Thanks for dropping by.
Update: I see from that church’s website that there is an image of that window.
Here’s the church’s description:
Wouldn’t it be nice were someone to reactivate that Troop in this Scouting Centennial year?
I entered Scouting for the first time with Pack 36, in Burley, Idaho, in the early Holocene. Other kids should have the opportunity to get great memories from Troop 36, again.
Gee, especially with the Adirondacks so close — what a great place to go camping!
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An identical Boy Scout window is in the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, Rochester, NY. It was dedicated of Feb. 9, 1970 and featured in the October 1970 issue of “Scouting” magazine. We do not know who made the window. Troop 36 was founded in 1913 and became inactive in 1978. The troop number is permanently assigned to the Church of the Epiphany.
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Wow! Very beautiful. This makes me really proud to have been a boy scout.
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That is a great window! Thank you for posting it.
Laura Goff Parham
State of the Art, Inc Stained Glass Studio
http://www.sotaglass.com/
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