Ensign Raymond Frost of the U.S. Navy (est. 1918).
Raymond Harrison Frost was the first Scoutmaster of Troop 54. He and Vincent E. Tomlinson, Minister of the First Universalist Church, approached the Boy Scouts of America located at 200 5th Avenue, New York City, and in September 1915, the group was chartered as Troop 541.
In 1915, Mr. Frost was working at the Frost Stationery Company in Worcester4, a company founded by his father, Frederick E. Frost. Through 2017, that company still existed as Frost Manufacturing and was still in in Worcester at 173 Grove Street (4/10 of a mile from Epworth) and under the management of Doug Frost, a grandson of Frederick Frost and son of Raymond's brother Harold Frost.5 In January 2018, the company merged with Corporate Connection with the resulting business taking that name. For the story of Frost Manufacturing, see their history on the Corporate Connection web page.
On August 2, 19172, Mr. Frost enlisted in the U.S. Navy to serve in World War I. During that time, Mr. Charles D. Livermore of the Troop Committee carried on temporarily. Charles F. Davis assisted by Philip A. Traver Jr. and Earl Dunton (an Eagle Scout) later took over the troop of 34 boys and served three years1.
Mr. Frost was released from his regular military service February 20, 19192. At some point, either before or after his service, his father bought the Roberts Office Supply Company in Portland, Maine, and Mr. Frost moved there to become its manager. Later, Mr. Frost left the company and together with George Bilek, founded Frost & Bilek Company in Worcester.
On March 1, 19273, Mr. Frost succeeded Mr. Davis to again became Scoutmaster until such time as he could train his successor. Ernest Myer became Assistant Scoutmaster and took over the Troop about a year later. 1 This makes Raymond Frost one of only two people to serve as Scoutmaster of Troop 54 twice, the other being Herbert Adams. The account in The Torch has Mr. Frost taking up from Mr. Davis upon Mr. Frost's return from the Navy. Based on the military record (which was not long enough for the other troop leaders listed) and the note in the Eagle Trail, it is clear that Mr. Frost's second term as Scoutmaster started in 1927.
In approximately 1939, Mr. Frost founded another A. B, Dick distributorship, this time in Portland, Maine, and ran this business until shortly after the end of World War II. He founded Frost Mimeograph Company in 1946 and ran that company until he retired and sold the business to its employees in 1962. Note that a mimeograph was what Mr. Harris used to produce The Torch for several decades.
Mr. Frost was also an assistant physical fitness director at the YMCA, a basketball player for several years and 100 yard swimming champion in Worcester for 1912-13. 3 He was born November 15, 1892 and died November 7, 1982 at the age of 892.
Read the biography by Paul W. Frost (Raymond's son) and Roger W. Frost (Raymond's nephew), updated April 14, 2013, to find out much more about our founder's fascinating life outside Scouting.
More pictures of Raymond Frost:
A younger Raymond Frost.
Ensign Raymond Frost of the U.S. Navy (est. 1918).
Raymond Frost (est. 1940).
Raymond Frost in military uniform, probably Navy Reserve (December 1940).
Raymond Frost (est. 1972).
Source:
1 September 1979 issue of The Torch.
2 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File via Ancestry.com
3 Eagle Trail, May 2, 1927 ("Official Publication Worcester Council").
4 December 2, 1915 issue of Geyer's Stationer.
5 April 3, 2017 message from Doug Frost.
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Page updated 4/29/18 |
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