A Brief History of the Hampton's Boy Scouts of America,
Troop No. 177 and Troop No. 178
Excerpts from Hampton: A Century of Town and Beach, 1888-1988
By Peter E. Randall
Boy Scouts of America
Chapter 23, Section 6, Pages 815 & 816 From Randall's Book
"......In August 1911, two Boy Scouts going through Hampton en route to Portland, Maine, from San Francisco were greeted with the Boy Scout salute by 10-year-old Sherley Ware, who told The Hampton Union he was the only Boy Scout in town. It is not clear when a formal troop was created, but the scouts were active during World War I, when Reverend Roger Thompson of the Methodist Church was the scoutmaster. Friends and fellow Boy Scouts, later to become educators and authors, Wheaton Lane, Stillman Hobbs, and Larry Thompson, maintained victory gardens during the war, a task the boys regarded as a major cause of the German defeat. The oldest of the two current troops is No. 177, sponsored by the American Legion Post 35. One of their important continuing community activities was the scrap-paper drive, an effort that probably originated during World War II but ended June 1989 when the supply of scrap paper exceeded the demand, dropping the price and terminating this valuable service, which had been an important source of funds for the scouts. In 1945, the troop was given the General Eisenhower Award for collecting a Southeastern New Hampshire District record 70,000 pounds of paper. At a unique 1946 Court of Honor, Eagle Scout badges, scouting’s highest award, were given to four Hampton boys: Bernard W. Campbell, Earl Midgley, Gordon Hammond, and Dudley Autio. Recently formed Troop 178 is sponsored by the Hampton Jaycees."
Building Hotels and Cottages and Hosting Conventions
Chapter 2, Section 3, Page 119 & 120 From Randall's Book
"Opened on Memorial Day 1912, the Ashworth immediately became the showplace at the Beach, occupying the highest spot between Boar's Head and the river. Its prominent location was matched only by Ashworth himself, who was a leader of the Precinct and a commissioner in 1916-17 and from 1925 until 1951, when he was voted "honorary commissioner for life" at the annual Precinct meeting. He was a founder and officer of the Chamber of Commerce, founder of the annual Children's Day, and supervisor of the playground. He devoted many hours to committees working to prevent shoreline erosion, and he chaired many civic committees as well. Ashworth was given the honorary title of colonel in 1935 by the governor of Kentucky. Because of his interest in children, he supported the annual Boy Scout camporees held at the Beach and at Camp Ashworth."
"In 1939, when the other Precinct commissioners voted to keep the playground open until 8 P.M., Ashworth refused, arguing that children should be in bed at that hour. Local milkman Homer Johnson recalled that Ashworth was also a shrewd businessman; when presented bills for payment of milk, Ashworth only paid the dollar amount, refusing to pay the additional cents. He must have saved the pennies, because when he died at age 87 in 1952, Ashworth's will established the George and Grace A. Ashworth scholarship, which is still being awarded annually through the Trustees of the Trust Funds to a graduating senior of Winnacunnet High School. The will provided for additional money for the playground and the Boy and Girl Scouts. Following an example of perseverance set a quarter century earlier by John G. Cutler, Ashworth rebuilt his hotel twice after it burned [two] times in eight years. In recognition of his contributions to the Beach and the whole town, Marsh Avenue was renamed in his honor by the selectmen after an advisory vote of the 1957 town meeting."
Social Events, Swimsuits, and Rudy Vallee
Chapter 3, Section 2, Page 200 from Randall's Book
"About 1,000 Boy Scouts held their first annual jamboree on July 13, camping overnight in their tents on Ross Field in order to participate the following day in the Children’s Day activities. The Scouts had a parade, drum-and-bugle competition, and contests among troops. George Ashworth, who "has worked unceasingly to make Hampton Beach a children’s playground," was honored by the Boy Scouts during the jamboree when they named one of the camp streets Ashworth Avenue {In memory of Col. George Ashworth, noted business man of Hampton Beach}."