first day on 27 April 1914, the troop remains continuously active. Isle of Man The 1st Douglas Scout Group, on the Isle of Man (a Crown Dependency of the UK and not technically part of the UK) was also founded in 1909. Mafeking Cadets During the Siege of Mafeking (1899–1900), boys in the town formed the Mafeking Cadet Corps, made famous by Baden-Powell in the opening chapter of Scouting for Boys. However, the cadets were not themselves Scouts. Outside the British Empire 1908–1910 United States There are numerous troops which claim to be first Boy Scout troop in the United States. Although there appear to be several Boy Scout troops that were operating prior to the establishment of the Boy Scouts of America, none of these claims are deemed verifiable by the organization — as far back as 1940 an official, George W. Ehler, searched records and determined “After several years of experience with these inquiries and claims, I came to the conclusion that it was not possible from any accepted record to determine which was the first Troop.” A claimant for first Boy Scout Troop in the United States is Burnside, Kentucky in 1908. Bala One is another claimant for first Boy Scout Troop in the United States in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. It was started by Frank H. Sykes prior to the founding of the Boy Scouts of America. A claimant for first Boy Scout troop is Troop #1 of Barre, Vermont in 1909. It was formed in Barre, Vermont, by William Foster Milne, who moved to the United States from Aberdeen, Scotland. In 1907, William Foster Milne, a stonecutter, immigrated to Barre, Vermont from Aberdeen, Scotland, where he had been active in the early Scouting movement. He is referred as the "First Scoutmaster in America" by Sir Francis Vane. Sir Francis Vane was London Commissioner of Scouts in Baden Powell's organisation and also became President of the British Boy Scouts. In 1909, "Billy" Milne learned of a small group of boys at the First Baptist Church in Barre, who were already members of the Boys Brigade, he offered them an alternative to their routine of marching and drills. By re-organizing into a new "Boy Scout Club" (Troop #1 in the United States) these Scouts learned first aid, new outdoor skills and being helpful to others. "Billy" Milne went back to his native Scotland and brought back the books