Valley Forge Pilgrimage

Valley Forge Pilgrimage and Encampment
2009 emblems
Owner	Cradle of Liberty Council
Date	February 22, 1913

The Valley Forge Pilgrimage and Encampment is the oldest annual Scouting event in the World. It was first held on February 22, 1913 (George Washington's 181st birthday), and has been held every year since. The event is hosted by the Cradle of Liberty Council and commemorates the soldiers of the Continental Army who braved the winter of 1777-78 at Valley Forge. Each year more than 2,000 brave the winter chill of the Delaware Valley to participate.

Boy Scouts of America (BSA) was only three years old, and was sweeping the country when approximately 300 Scouts from Philadelphia and suburban Delaware and Montgomery Counties took part in the first pilgrimage.

Typical attendance ranged from 125 to 275 Scouts and leaders until the Great Depression. The event has been held every year, even during the Depression and World War II, though the event was then held at a reduced scale. In the early years, Scouts traveled to Valley Forge by train and foot, arriving at the Valley Forge Train Station.

The event was organized by an Episcopal priest, Rev. Dr. W. Herbert Burk of Norristown. Burk had also been instrumental in building the Washington Memorial Chapel at Valley Forge. Burk continued to be involved in the planning for the annual pilgrimage for the next two decades. The term "pilgrimage" was chosen because every participating troop lined up in formation with their flags and paraded to the chapel for the memorial service for George Washington.

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