Troop 59 was chartered in the Oakland community by Ernest Wilson circa 1949 after he was discharged from the U.S. Army. Roosevelt Jones was one of several young men who joined the troop under the guidance of Ernest. As noted by Roosevelt Jones “we were a great group of youngsters that enjoyed the outings on 
. Mr. Wilson taught us the Boy Scout sign, motto and how to properly set up our tents and tie various knots.” There were two specific items in the Boy Scout motto that have been an outstanding reminder to Roosevelt and that is that a boy scout is always trustworthy and willing to help people at all times. When Ernest stepped down as Scoutmaster Charles West and Haywood Gray took over the reigns for several years and then the troop disbanded sometime after 1974. We know the troop was alive and well in 1974 because a young gentleman by the name of Felton Whitfield was the first black scout in the Old Dominion Area Council to receive his Eagle Award. This award was presented by Bill Brackett scout executive on November 3, 1974. There is a newspaper article on file at the GCHF which gives much detail about Felton and his support for the community and his many outside activities including being president of the Chuckatuck 4-H club.
