By Dayne Rugh, For The Bulletin
One of the great missteps in the interpretation of history is neglecting to view the development of different groups of people from a holistic perspective. Often it becomes too convenient to compartmentalize the history of a given group of people without placing it in a larger context. This leads to an oversimplification of how our history develops, and as a result, it becomes difficult for people to connect with the history of those who share different backgrounds.
In truth, our collective backgrounds are far more intertwined and connected. This Black History Month, we have the opportunity to examine the impact of African American history in Norwich, and one of those great stories lies with a man who escaped a life of enslavement in northern Virginia and settled down in Norwich as a free man. That man’s name was James L. Smith.
Don Rittner
Boy Scouts, Detachable Collars, and a Troy Connection? By Don Rittner on December 30, 2020 at 9:21 PM
By Don Rittner
Chances are everyone knows a Boy Scout or two. This youth building movement began in London back in 1908. It was brought to America shortly after by W. D. Boyce, an American newspaperman, who after being aided by a London scout thought it would a great program for kids in the US.
After returning to America in 1910 he joined up with Edward S. Stewart and Stanley D. Willis and incorporated the Boy Scouts of America on February 8 of that year. Boyce was encouraged to take it nationally by Edgar M. Robinson, a leader of the YMCA in New York City, and offered financial help. That year the Woodcraft Indians led by Ernest Thompson Seton, the Boy Scouts of the United States headed by Colonel Peter Bomus, and the National Scouts of America headed by Colonel William Verbeck were absorbed into the new Boy Scouts of America. The first office