Through the ages the numbers and names of the Troop's patrols have changed from time to time, however some patrols have survived throughout the decades. Below is a short history of some of the Troop's patrols ...

The very first meeting of the I.B.S. took place on Monday, 16 September, 1918. At that first meeting the 70 boys that were to form the World's First International Boy Scout Troop were divided into eight patrols. These first patrols were to become the:

Bear, Eagle, Flying Eagle, Hound, Lion, Panther, Stag, and Wolf Patrols

As the Troop grew more patrols became necessary and in 1920 the
Beaver Patrol was added to the list of active patrols.

1922 saw the organization of the Buffalo Patrol and the Horse Patrol.

In 1923 the Great Kanto Earthquake destroyed much of Yokohama and a smaller Troop was regrouped. Some patrols, like the Eagles, Flying Eagles, Stags, and Wolves continued and others were retired. Even though the retirement was temporary for some, others were to be replaced by new patrols. One such new patrol was the Sea Gull Patrol that was established in 1937.

Again beginning soon after the Sea Gull Patrol was established the Troop was to see it's numbers decrease due to circumstances which eventually led to World War II. The Boy Scouts of Japan were forced to disband early in 1941 and, even though the I.B.S. saw no need to disband and was not forced to do so, the number of I.B.S. scouts was drastically reduced. Only the Flying Eagle Patrol and Wolf Patrol remained and those two very small patrols were to carry on scouting activities in the mountains near Hakone where many foreigners were forced to relocate.

The end of the war brought scouting back into the open and the Panther Patrol was once again activated. Soon the number of scouts began to grow and the new Hawk Patrol was formed and was followed shortly by the St. Bernard Patrol.

Again the number of scouts continued to increase and in the mid 1950's the older boys formed the Pathfinders, which was to become the first Senior Scout Unit when, in 1957, a growing and maturing I.B.S. officially established "Senior Scout Unit 1". The Pioneers joined the Pathfinders as the first two Senior Scout Units. Within a few years the Rangers joined the list of active Senior Scout Units.

Of the first patrols formed on that Monday in 1918, at the very beginning of the I.B.S., some are still active today and have an unbroken record of EIGHTY-FIVE years of service!.

As you can see from the current patrol patches below, the Flying Eagle Patrol and the Hawk Patrol are examples of those that have endured. Others, such as the Lions and Sea Gulls have been retired.

Some patrols were rather short-lived, by I.B.S. standards anyway. The Reindeer Patrol was created in the late 1960s and is an example of a patrol that existed for only a few years before it was retired. Boys of the time preferred the more popular Flying Eagle, Hawk, Panther, St. Bernard, and Wolf patrols.

Flying Eagle




Saint Bernard

Hawk




Wolf

Panther




Reindeer (retired)