Scouting Magazine, December 1948
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration]
Here’s What They Say about Getting Boys into Uniform
Why It’s Important
“A boy gets into the Uniform, and immediately it does something to him.
To be dressed like a Scout makes him want to act like one, makes him
want to do the things that Scouts do. Besides, it gives a boy pride in
his appearance, helps him toward self-confidence, gives him a standing
in the eyes of the public. With boys dressed alike, rich and poor, a
real brotherhood can be established.”
How To Do It
There is one simple key to getting your Unit uniformed. Your own
attitude and example. You have to make up your mind to get a Uniform for
yourself and wear it at all Unit undertakings. Your boys will quickly
realize that you take Scouting seriously, and they will soon get into
Uniform themselves. See Handbook for Scoutmasters, page 404 and
Cubmaster’s Packbook, pages 210-212.
_You must be First_
Don’t take our word for it! Go to the _Handbook for Scoutmasters_, the
_Cubmaster’s Packbook_ ... and if you’re still unconvinced, take a peek
at Baden-Powell’s _Aids to Scoutmastership_. You’ll find it right there
on page twenty-five, where, big as life, Scouting’s founder says, “It is
largely a matter of example. Show me a slackly-dressed Troop and I can
‘Sherlock’ a slackly-dressed Scoutmaster.” Brother, if that doesn’t
convince you, nothin’ will. Your Unit can only be as good as your
leadership, and this basic, unavoidable fact holds for uniforming too.
Wear your own Uniform for all Troop activities!
_Apply This Principle Outdoors Too!_
Your winter overcoat may be nice, but it’s not Scouting. Your hunting
jacket or heavy sweater may be comfortable, but they’re not Scouting
either. Only the Official Scout Jacket can make your Uniform do its job
outdoors as well as in. You’ll like this sturdy jacket too. It’s warm
and serviceable, good-looking and economical, rightweight for
year-’round wear. Most important, it is Scouting. Ask to see it at your
Local Scout Distributor’s today.
=$5.75 and $5.95=
LEADER’S UNIFORM “A”
Complete 5-Piece Outfit for Scoutmasters, Cubmasters, Assistant Unit
Leaders, Committeemen.
SERGE TROUSERS FLANNEL SHIRT
NO. 587 =$19.95= COMPLETE
The Uniformed Leader holds promise ... of Good Scouting for every Boy!
IF NOT STOCKED BY YOUR SCOUT DISTRIBUTOR ORDER DIRECT FROM
=NATIONAL SUPPLY SERVICE·BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA=
2 Park Ave., New York 16, N.Y. 231 So. Green St., Chicago, 7, Ill.
1663 Mission St., San Francisco 3, Calif.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
You’re Wanted for Questioning
[Illustration]
But don’t let it bother you. Any embarrassment will be on our side. And
we’re willing to take the chance.
All you stand to lose is three cents and a half hour. To gain, a more
interesting and helpful SCOUTING.
What I mean is, you’re No. 1 man on our Board of Experts and your
opinion is very important to us.
We know that you have one, that you make up your mind very quickly as
you thumb an issue as to whether a page seems to interest you, whether
you’ll read it or keep thumbing. Finally, whether it was worth your
time, likely to help you in _your_ Scouting work.
We can’t talk with you personally about your ideas, and a long
questionnaire would probably send you scooting, so here’s a plan to do
it the easy way. It may look sketchy to you, but it will really help us
a lot.
Here’s how it works—when you have finished reading this issue—that is,
all of it you feel the urge to read—turn back to this page and use the
contents column as your survey blank. Put checks opposite each article
in the columns that best describe your reaction. Then write any comment
you wish to add in that small space at the bottom, note your Scouting
position, cut off the Contents strip on the dotted line, slip it into an
envelope and mail to us.
I hope we will hear from you. It’ll be a real Good Turn to all your
fellow Scouters.
[Illustration:
Lex R. Lucas
_Managing Editor_
]
---------------------
=SCOUTING MAGAZINE= is published monthly except August and bi-monthly
June-July, and copyrighted 1948, by the Boy Scouts of America, 2 Park
Ave., New York 16, N.Y. Reentered as Second Class Matter, June 13, 1946,
at the Post Office at New York, N.Y., under the act of March 3, 1879.
Scouting Magazine is edited in the Division of Program by the Editorial
Service. _Director at the Division of Program_, E. Urner Goodman.
_Director of Publications_, _Editor_, Lorne W. Barclay. _Managing
Editor_, Lex R. Lucas. _Asst. Managing Editor_, Tom MacPherson. _Art
Director_, Donald Ross. _Production Director_, Geo. W. Goddard, _Jr.
Associate Editors_: Gerald Speedy, Cub Scouting; Ted Pettit, Boy
Scouting; Ted Holstein, Senior Scouting.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SCOUTING
DECEMBER, 1948, VOL. 36, No. 10
_CONTENTS_
Follow the “Trail Signs”—
★, ◆, ⚜, ●
to find articles of special interest to _you_.
─────────────────┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┐
│ a │ b │ c │ d │ e │ f │ g │ h │ i │ j │ k │
★ FOR ALL │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
SCOUTERS │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
Scouting the 2│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Country │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
Christmas 3│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Spirit │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
Reaching Out 5│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
Scouting On 8│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Main │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Street │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
The Dust of 10│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
the │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Round-Up │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Settles │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
◆ FOR CUB │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
SCOUT │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
LEADERS │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
Don’t Forget 11│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
the Denner │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
Blue and 12│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Gold Week │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
American Cub 13│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Scout Den │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
In Peru │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
Music and 14│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Minstrels │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
Gentlemen, 16│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Be Seated! │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
Musical 17│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Instru- │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
ments │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
I Was A Den 18│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Dad │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
Den Doings 19│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
Cub Scout 20│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Treasure │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Chest │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
⚜ FOR BOY │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
SCOUT │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
LEADERS │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
Scouting 21│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Shorts │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
Give Dads A 22│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Chance │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
Troop Plans 23│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
for │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
January │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
Scout Week 24│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Adventure │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
Doing It 26│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Right In │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Winter │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
The Early 28│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Scout Gets │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
The Bird │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
Game File 30│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
Scout 36│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
master’s │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Minute │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
Just a 38│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Minute │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
● FOR SENIOR │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
LEADERS │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
Spotlight 31│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Scout Week │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
Senior 33│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Briefings │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
Emergency 34│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Service │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
for │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Seniors │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
─────────────────┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┘
Key to interest level:
a - I READ THIS ARTICLE CAREFULLY
b - I READ IT CASUALLY
c - I DID NOT READ IT
d - IT WAS INTERESTINGLY WRITTEN
e - IT WAS NOT INTERESTINGLY WRITTEN
f - I CAN USE THE IDEAS
g - I CANNOT USE THE IDEAS
h - THE INSTRUCTIONS ARE CLEAR
i - THE INSTRUCTIONS ARE NOT CLEAR
j - THE ILLUSTRATIONS HELPED THE ARTICLE
k - THE ILLUSTRATIONS DID NOT HELP
Comments:
My Scouting Position
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_Scouting the Country_
[Illustration]
★ =Buckshot to Memorial=
When John M. Phillips began his crusade for conservation less than two
generations ago, he was taunted, reviled, threatened, and “accidentally”
shot in the legs three times. Sportsmen of that day felt game was public
property, and they dealt roughly with “busybody conservationists.”
But on an August Sunday in 1948, a new crop of sportsmen met near
Glenhazel, Pennsylvania, and paid public tribute to the same John M.
Phillips, no longer taunted nor “accidentally” shot. Commonwealth
sportsmen now revere him as “Pennsylvania’s grand old man of
conservation.” On the site of the first game lands purchased by the
state, they unveiled a huge boulder, bearing a keystone-shaped plaque
commemorating the work of Mr. Phillips in developing a state-wide
conservation system.
A member of the Advisory Council of the Boy Scouts of America, Mr.
Phillips is 87 years old, and one of the few men to have a memorial
erected in his honor while still living.
=Dutch Uncles—2¢ Each=
If you’d like to get it off your chest—you know, tell parents a thing or
three—here’s your opportunity to do it in a nice way. (Not that you’d do
it other than nicely.) At the request of many Scouters, we are making
reprints of Louis C. Fink’s “Are We Pied Pipers?” from October SCOUTING.
If you’d like a few copies, why not ask your Council for them?
=Country Kids=
If you, too, have always taken it for granted that delinquency is a crop
native only to the teeming metropolis, Albert S. Goss, Master of the
National Grange, has a shock for you.
“The farmer,” reports Mr. Goss, “is now disturbed about the rapid
increase in delinquency. He has finally come to the conclusion that the
greatest influence (in combatting delinquency) is that of
character-building organizations, the results of which he is delighted
with.”
Among character-building organizations, “Scouting for the country kid,”
adds Mr. Goss, “is a natural, for he has many things right at his back
door that Scouting offers (and) every one of the Granges can sponsor a
Scout Unit. There are 7,100 sub-units in the United States, and a
special effort is being made this year to push this. The sub-units
themselves own about 4,000 buildings.”
Mr. Goss was speaking at a meeting of the National Committee on Rural
Scouting late last October. The meeting was presided over by Mr. Wheeler
McMillen, Committee Chairman. Mr. McMillen, known for his interest in
rural youth, is moderator of this month’s round table, “Reaching Out,”
which you’ll find on page 4.
=Old Mags=
The fondest dream of any editor is that you, dear reader, cherish and
possess your magazine through eternity. But, no respecters of dreams are
the 2,000 Boys’ Clubs of Britain. Magazine-hungry, they’ll gladly accept
any and all back numbers of any magazine, providing it’s American. Mail
’Em to E. H. G. Barwell, Peace Haven, 25 Chantry Close, Kenton,
Middlesex, England.
=Brothers=
Troop 23 of Schenectady, New York, _did_ go to camp last summer,
although there was some hectic scrambling at the last minute to raise
funds. You see, Troop 23 was financially set pretty well in advance, but
along came June, and clear across the continent Vanport, Oregon, went
down under fifteen feet of water. Scouts of Troop 23 read of how two
Vanport Scout Troops and two Cub Packs barely got ashore with the
clothes on their backs, so the boys from Schenectady began packing. To
Vanport went haversacks, uniforms, pins, badges, and a welter of
miscellany. But still the packages didn’t look impressive enough to
Troop 23, so into the treasury they dived and came up with $35 of their
camp funds.
No moral needed.
=Fifty Means Forty=
=No that’s not double talk on inflation, it’s just a first clue to the
fact that, come 1950, we celebrate our 40th Anniversary, and since 40
years is quite a milestone, we propose to celebrate it in a big way.=
=In fact, we’ll be starting the process at the very beginning of 1949—a
big, two year program which will reach into every Pack and Troop and
Senior Unit in America. Be watching for future announcements!=
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration]
[Illustration:
CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
]
_By E. Urner Goodman_
National Program Director
★ Scouting, like Christmas, is a thing of the spirit. Everybody knows
about the spirit of Christmas! It is a spirit which makes itself felt in
the heart of man no matter where he may be. There was the story of the
landing at Casablanca which tells of this spirit so vividly. The story,
contained in a letter to home by a Scout of yesterday, relates:
“It was Christmas Eve when we landed at Casablanca. We were among the
first contingent to land, so we didn’t know what kind of reception we’d
get. Our officers gathered us together and cautioned us about that. No
one could predict if it would be a friendly welcome or a welcome of
machine gun fire. So, as we marched up the main street of Casablanca, we
walked as silently as possible. No one spoke to his neighbor. Everything
was expectant and utterly tense.
“The march led toward the East, and as we marched, my eye quickly picked
out a bright star shining down near the Eastern horizon. At once I
remembered another Star that likewise shone so brightly on Christmas
Eve. But now things seemed so different. Danger and death apparently
were lurking behind every house as we passed.
“And then it happened—but not as we expected it. For, coming clearly and
crisply from a group of buildings we were passing was the sound, not of
machine guns or rifles, but the sweet and lovely strains of a blessed
Christmas carol.
“The effect was electric. We all felt it. I looked at my buddy, who was
a hard boiled sergeant. He caught his lip in his teeth and with tears
coursing down his cheeks, he marched on unashamed.”
Well, there you have it. With the spirit of good will moving in the
hearts of men, the Christmas spirit overcomes the rattle of the machine
gun. It is wonderful to contemplate what effect the Christmas spirit has
even on souls hardened by men at war.
More familiar, of course, are the homey evidences of the Christmas
spirit ... the smell of balsam boughs and turkey roasting; the sight of
the bright red berries on a wreath of holly; the soft caress of a
falling snowflake on a moonlit Christmas Eve; the unforgettable taste of
that red and white peppermint candy cane; and above all, the sweet notes
of Christmas carols falling on the ear—all these things bring to us the
spirit of Christmas at home.
But something deeper than all of that is there, because Christmas
reminds us of the song of the angels, of “Peace on Earth among Men of
Good Will.”
So similar is the spirit of Scouting, which grows out of such vivid
experiences as these: The smell of woodfire with bacon broiling above
it; the call of the loon over the lake on a quiet night; the sight of a
great bird soaring over pines on a mountain top; the comforting feel of
your buddy’s shoulder as you hike along a woodland trail at night; the
unforgettable taste of wild strawberries gathered to augment the
Patrol’s menu.
These things have a part, it is true, in the spirit of Scouting, but
there is something far deeper, as we all know. For Scouting, like
Christmas, is a thing of the spirit.
“Happyfying”
No season is happier than the Christmas season, and the secret of that
happiness lies in what our founder, Baden-Powell, called “happyfying.”
It is the philosophy of the old song, “I want to be happy, but I can’t
be happy, ’till I make you happy, too.”
Our Christmas turkey loses its taste and becomes dry fodder unless we
have done something to make somebody else happy at Christmas time.
Now that is the spirit of Scouting at Christmas and at all other
seasons. It was put into the Scout spirit by Baden-Powell. The
implication is clear. Our happiness all year through, as Scouts, grows
out of the many acts we do to bring happiness to those around us.
It is a fine thing for the Troop to engage in national or community
programs of service. We should do that as good citizens. It is an even
greater thing for a Patrol to single out some very human service they
can perform for somebody close at hand. And when these Scouts see the
smile on the face of the neighbor they have helped, then they know all
about “happyfying” and their own lives are blest, too.
And the Scoutmaster, or other Unit Leader, knows about “happyfying,” for
is he not making a Christmas gift to the nation every week in the year
as he carries on his Scoutmastership? Thus he, himself, receives
dividends the like of which no billionaire in history ever knew. So it
was that one such Scoutmaster speaking at the last meeting of our
National Council was able to say, “When the Scoutmaster looks around him
and counts his blessings, he finds that his reward is the richest of
all.”
=Good Will=
The youngest Cub Scout, of course, knows about good will, for does not
the Law of the Pack remind him that “A Cub gives good will?” So, in the
Boy Scout experience he finds that “The Scout is a friend to all and a
brother to every other Scout.” As he grows older he learns more of the
World Brotherhood of Scouting and finds that good will among men knows
no boundaries of race or creed, or nationality.
The beloved song of the angels at Christmastime, then, is the thing that
Scouting is trying to do all year round. Insofar as Scouting builds its
brotherhood and gives good will all year round, will it be speeding that
day of “Peace on Earth.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration]
[Illustration:
Moderator WHEELER McMILLEN Editor-in-Chief Farm Journal and the
Pathfinder Magazine
FOREST WITCRAFT Scout Executive Huron, South Dakota
HOWARD F. FOX Supervisor, Vocational Agriculture, New Castle, Pa.
VERNON NICHOLS Scoutmaster Crosby, No. Dakota
L. H. ELEAZER Cubmaster Pelion, So. Carolina]
★ We have it on good authority that 53% of the boys of America live “way
out there,” in the little crossroads settlements and on the miles-apart
farms.
We all know that we have a big opportunity and responsibility to reach
out into that open country. We also know that it is a hard job.
To help bring this rural business into the spotlight, SCOUTING Magazine
asked eight men to join in one of our Round Table discussions. These men
represent all phases of rural life and of Scouting. The “moderator’s
gavel” will be wielded by the Chairman of our National Committee on
Rural Scouting, Wheeler McMillen, who as the Editor-in-chief of the
_Farm Journal_ and the _Pathfinder Magazine_, has a host of friends
throughout America.
Mr. McMillen, will you take over?
* * * * *
=McMILLEN: I feel honored to join you fine men, who represent so many
aspects of modern farm life. We all have one thing in common—we want
that boy who lives on the farm to have a good break. Some of us believe
that the Scouting program can play a big part in his growth.=
=We should face this whole question objectively and constructively.
Let’s start by asking a rather blunt question: _Do rural boys really
need Scouting? Or is their normal life already filled with the
ingredients which make for character and good citizenship?_=
=VERNON NICHOLS, SCOUTMASTER=: They need it very much. Scouting not only
builds character, but it helps especially in developing leadership, a
quality often lacking in farm boys.
=HOWARD F. FOX, SUPERVISOR, VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE=: The boys who live
in small towns need Scouting, but I think those who live on farms need
it in less degree.
=JOE C. CARRINGTON, COUNCIL PRESIDENT=: I can’t agree with Mr. Fox. Farm
boys need it even more than town boys, who have more supervised
playgrounds, more church and school and club-sponsored programs. The
rural boy has very little to round out his life, and really needs
Scouting.
=L. H. ELEAZER, CUBMASTER=: Perhaps the elements are there on the farm,
but Scouting can help bring them out. Sometimes when a man is close to a
thing, he doesn’t see it in its real light. Also, all rural boys do not
stay on the farms where they were reared. These boys need much of the
same kind of training their city brothers get.
=CARRINGTON=: That raises a good point—when the rural boy moves to town,
he very often has no entering wedge into the youth programs there. But
if he is a Scout in the rural area he can transfer his membership and
make a transition which would have been difficult without Scouting. Its
universality is an important feature.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reaching Out
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
L. O. PARKER County Farm Agent Metter, Georgia
HENRY P. CARSTENSEN Master, State Grange Seattle, Washington
JOE C. CARRINGTON Council President Austin, Texas
=McMILLEN: I see you’re all nodding in agreement, including Mr. Fox.
Actually we have never really questioned the need, have we? It’s the
ways to use Scouting best and to get it to the rural boy, that bothers
us.=
=FOREST WITCRAFT, SCOUT EXECUTIVE=: Does it really need to bother us? Of
course it’s hard to take Scouting out to the boys in the open country,
but plenty of Councils have proved that it can be done.
I’m thinking of Draper in my South Dakota country, with a population of
190, Barnard with 60, Strandburg with 177, Stratford, Northville and
Garden City adding 700 more—six communities with a little better than
1100, supporting _ten thriving Scout Units_. I think of places like
Tulare (population 244) with 19 Scouts, 17 of whom come from their
farms. It can be done.
=FOX=: The crux of the problem is probably leadership. Can rural
communities supply it? There is no question in my mind but that it’s
there, but will men who do hard physical work long hours every day in
the week give the time needed for Scouting?
=HENRY P. CARSTENSEN, MASTER, STATE GRANGE=: Part of the problem here is
the tendency of parents of rural youth to take the attitude that
Scouting is a non-essential activity, a luxury which they cannot afford.
Some good parent education would make it easier to get leaders and thus
to spread Scouting.
=CARRINGTON=: There are ways to get men in the farm country. As District
Chairman, I used a well-known method that worked wonderfully. I used a
survey blank that asked boys the question “Who do you think is the best
man in your community, and why?” The kids would name men whom we hadn’t
thought of, and give good reasons. When we went to such men and told
them why the boys thought they were tops, resistance faded away and we
usually had our leaders.
In most communities the leadership is there if we know how to dig for
it.
=NICHOLS=: Leadership may be there all right, but believe me, _trained_
leadership is sure lacking. That is where our Local Councils need to
give us more help—short courses that busy men can attend. I think time
and money spent by the Local Council assisting new leaders would be well
spent.
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[Illustration]
=WITCRAFT=: Training becomes harder as the distance between your Scout
Units increases. Here are a few ways we have been able to get training
to our men:
(a) We run week-end training courses.
(b) Our monthly Round Tables are packed with training as well as
fellowship.
(c) The One-Unit course is tops—the committee joins with the leaders in
an at-home training experience. This may lack some of the advantages of
larger courses but it has some of its own.
(d) We count heavily on personal coaching by our Field Executives and
Commissioner Staff.
=McMILLEN: Before we get too deeply into Council methods of handling
country Scouting, let’s study it a bit more from the boy’s angle. What
aspects of Scouting are most interesting and helpful to boys?=
=ELEAZER=: I would say the most interesting aspect to the rural boy is
camping. The most helpful is probably the achievement part of the
program.
=FOX=: I put this question to the forty students in my vocational
agriculture class, well over half of whom are or have been Scouts. The
younger boys put camping first; the older ones put it on a level with
advancement skills. All of them rated these two aspects of Scouting
tops.
=NICHOLS=: One of the values I see my boys get out of camping is the
ability to work with others. Too often rural boys do not have a chance
to develop this important trait. That’s why group activity is especially
important to rural boys too.
=McMILLEN: A very good point, Mr. Nichols. Our rural boys aren’t
different, but sometimes their opportunity to develop certain abilities
and traits is limited: Scouting’s camping and its group activity can
fill a big void.=
=Speaking about program, what do you think of the Merit Badge work?=
=FOX=: In the first place, rural boys like to receive recognition for
things they do, as well as any youth. I know that many of the Merit
Badges encourage farm boys to improve their agricultural skills.
Experienced farmers make good counselors in agricultural subjects.
=NICHOLS=: The rural boy possibly needs the Merit Badge program more
than does the city boy because he has less access to these “idea
sources.” He needs to know about trades and occupations, too, other than
those found on the farm.
=WITCRAFT=: In addition to the values the Merit Badge program holds for
the boy, it has two other big values; it has sold many rural people on
Scouting because farmers readily see the value of such subjects as Beef
Production and Soil Management. It has also brought many men into
Scouting. A man gets a taste of Scouting while serving as a Merit Badge
Counselor and, liking this experience, accepts other leadership
responsibilities.
=McMILLEN: Mr. Witcraft’s comment about adults reminds me of a frequent
criticism heard in the rural field that such activities as Scouting
interfere with a boy’s responsibilities to his farm home. Is this so,
and need it be so?=
=L. O. PARKER, COUNTY FARM AGENT=: It is true that they could interfere,
but I don’t think it happens often. When the Unit Leader and Committee
are rural people they will recognize this problem and avoid it.
=ELEAZER=: Getting to and from meetings sometimes poses a problem.
Perhaps a less frequent Troop meeting would be the answer, with Patrol
meetings in the boys’ homes in between.
=NICHOLS=: The camp may be the biggest problem, if it comes in the
middle of the harvest season.
=FOX=: Camp doesn’t really have to interfere, does it? Each Troop would
naturally schedule its camp dates to miss the busiest season in that
area.
=NICHOLS=: I didn’t mean that the camping problem was hard to overcome.
Certainly it is so important to a farm boy that we must get it in
somehow. Going to the Council camp helps us realize that we belong to
something bigger than our own Troop in our own little community. In the
same way, inter-Troop activities help us keep on our toes.
=PARKER=: I certainly agree that camping is important, but it is the
Scouting activity which is most likely to conflict with home
responsibilities. Councils with rural territory should be very aware of
the problem, and should handle it realistically.
=CARSTENSEN=: This whole discussion of competitive activity raises
another question which we in the Grange feel is important. That is, that
leaders of all youth movements should recognize the need for closer
contact and understanding—the need for planning together so that their
problems will be coordinated rather than conflicting.
We have tried to work this way in developing our Juvenile Grange
program; we have made an effort to support such activities as the Boy
Scouts, the 4H, Future Farmers, etc.
=FOX=: I am not too much concerned about the danger of competition.
Neither the 4H nor the F.F.A. cover the entire country, by any means.
Furthermore, my experience has been that boys can belong to both F.F.A.
and the Scouts and do a good job of both. Then, too, since Future
Farmers are all older boys, their activities become a continuation of
the leadership training received in Scouting.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration]
=PARKER=: We in 4H like to have our boys active in Scouting. Scouting
and 4H strengthen one another. For example, Scouting recognizes with its
Merit Badge awards the work our boys do in 4H projects. Scouting
provides programs in non-agricultural subjects which 4H does not offer.
=WITCRAFT=: Let’s go even stronger than that. There isn’t nearly as much
competition for a boy’s time in the country as there is in the city;
that’s one of the reasons Scouting is so much needed in the country.
=McMILLEN: All of this brings us face to face with the pay-off question:
Granted that Scouting has a program needed by country boys, and that
there are ways of making it work, what help is most needed by isolated
rural Units, and how can the Local Council best provide this help?=
=ELEAZER=: The help most needed by those of us who lead rural Packs and
Troops is that which can be given by the Executive or a Field Executive.
This is especially true when we start new Units.
=NICHOLS=: Training is our No. 1 need, and this includes our Committees.
Our Council made a good move in filling its monthly District meetings
with real training and a lot of good fellowship.
=WITCRAFT=: That word “fellowship” is especially important. When men
live a long ways apart they need opportunities to get together. The
Council must find ways to make this happen.
=FOX=: Financing rural work also seems to be a problem. I am not too
familiar with Scouting, but I wonder if this does need to be a problem?
=NICHOLS=: This is probably more true in times of financial stress than
it is now, but there is a problem to face. One thing is sure, the
stronger and more active the Troop, the easier it is to raise funds. If
the people of a community see that Scouting is doing a lot for the boys,
they’ll support it.
=CARRINGTON=: In our Council we furnish Scouting service all over our
area, but we think it’s right to apportion more Field Executive time to
the Districts which are providing adequate funds to make that field
service possible.
At the same time, we carry on an organized extension program in all
areas with the hope that all will make use of Scouting and give it their
support.
=WITCRAFT=: It is true that the cost of rural Scouting has often delayed
Councils in coming to grips with the rural problem. Usually we have
assumed that Scouting starts in the city, moves out to the small towns
and eventually filters down to the village and open country.
The Council faces a practical problem. It has a certain amount of time
and money. How can these be spent most wisely? The same amount of work
that will organize a rural Troop of six boys at Olson’s Corners will
organize a Troop of twenty boys in the headquarters city. It has seemed
to be sound business to spend Council money where it would bring
Scouting to the most boys.
But consider what this means to Olaf Torkelson, twelve years old, out at
Olson’s Corners. Can we say to him, “Sorry, Olaf, but it will probably
be several years before we can organize marginal places like Olson’s
Corners.”
Our Council, at its coming Annual Meeting, will take action on a
proposal by our Organization and Extension Committee that we shall
henceforth recognize an equal responsibility to all boys within our
area, regardless of where they live.
We believe such an approach would be financially sound, and that the
rural area will support it.
=FOX=: I broached this question of cost, but actually I don’t think it’s
serious. The open country has the boys, and wants them to have their
chance. The money can be secured if we approach the right people. For
example, some farm cooperatives now have educational programs. They
might see big dividends in efforts spent to help Scouting develop
leaders among rural youth.
Farming has become so complex that the country can no longer afford to
let its best youth go to the city. Today farming demands the best brains
as well as the strongest bodies the nation can produce. The modern
farmer must organize, manage, finance, produce, and market.
Scouting can, and does help round out a rural boy’s life. It builds the
kind of men the nation needs on its farms.
=McMILLEN: This has been good talk. It has been all the more persuasive
because we have heard the voices of men who have actually “reached out.”
Rural Scouting is a fact that grows all the time.=
=One thought in closing: No one has much trouble to get boys into
Scouting. But in order to keep the Scout groups flourishing, we need
more men who will give leadership. I would like to suggest that no
Council’s annual dinner, or outdoor event, will be quite complete unless
the top leaders in farm and rural business activities are personally
invited to see and hear for themselves. Pay them more attention and they
will pay more attention to Scouting.=
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SCOUTING ON MAIN STREET
_By Edward Belason_,
Assistant Director of Public Relations
★ BOY SCOUT WEEK will soon be upon us. For one entire week in February
you will hear and see a lot about Scouting as the general public finds
itself becoming Scouting-conscious.
You will hear _Scouting_ on the radio, see _Scouting_ in newspapers and
magazines, and rub elbows with _Scouting_ as Scouts go to and from
school in their uniforms.
As a Scout leader, you will want to make the best use of the nationwide
publicity and direct the attention of people in YOUR community to the
activities of THEIR Scouts. One ideal method for a local Unit is through
a Scout display in a store window with a prominent location.
The three immediate advantages of a window display are: ONE, the general
public becomes Scouting-conscious; TWO, the Unit has a live and unusual
program for several days; and THREE, boys who are not now Scouts see an
opening for themselves to join the Unit.
=Plan Your Display=
Before you ask a merchant for window space, have some plans for your
display on paper, or at least in your mind. Explain to him the
advantages to the community, to Scouting, and to his store. Most
storekeepers are willing to cooperate. Larger shops may even offer the
services of trained window decorators. Once you obtain the space you
have a responsibility to both the merchant and to Scouting to install
the neatest and most interesting display you and your staff can create.
No doubt you can get some valuable help from your Local Council.
Build your display around the theme for 1949—“Adventure—That’s
Scouting!” Show the folks in your community that your Unit spells
Adventure with a capital “A.”
Make a list of the items you will want to display, such as photographs,
handicraft articles, posters, flags, collections, knot boards, books,
etc. Select those which you can make outstanding. Don’t crowd the
window; use just what you have room for.
After the list is decided upon, get the Unit’s specialists on the job.
Get the shutter bugs busy on photographs, the craftsmen to their work
benches, and the artists to their layout pads. Photos are one of the
best mediums for telling your story. Select those that truly represent
Scouting activities. Enlarge them and mount them neatly, with captions
easily read.
The background, too, should be eye-catching. It should be large enough
that passersby will be arrested and enticed to step up close to look
over the display. You can make a good backdrop with a photo illustrating
Scout adventure, and enlarged to take in practically the entire
background. If you cannot get extra size enlargements in your community,
choose several photos, make 11″ × 14″ enlargements and group them to
form an artistic background. Or you might have your boys make a large
Scout emblem from beaverboard and color it. Another possibility is to
mount several photos on wallboard cut to the shape of the Scout badge.
[Illustration]
Experiment with arrangements in advance, so that when you enter the
store you can trim the window in the quickest possible time.
Chalk off the actual window area on the meeting room floor. Place
smaller items in the foreground, and gradually build up to the
background. If pedestals are needed, perhaps the storekeeper may lend
them to you. If he has none, make some of cardboard and gummed tape.
Cigar boxes, paper cartons, and tin cans, painted or covered with
colored paper, can be used.
Extremely bright colors will sometimes detract from the items on
display. Avoid them or use them carefully. Neutral colors can easily be
arranged to compliment and flatter the displayed items. For example,
when exhibiting a collection of leather-craft items, a cream or light
green will show them up better than bright red or blue.
[Illustration]
_ADVENTURE ... that’s Scouting!_
The large silhouette in this window was made, as shown below, by placing
subject between light and wrapping paper tacked on wall, tracing his
outline and filling in with black poster paint.
Arrange the articles to create continuity. It isn’t necessary that each
item be seen from every angle. Avoid over-crowding; it has a tendency to
confuse and tire the window-shopper. He may walk away and perhaps miss
the essence of your message.
Not until you have had your “dress rehearsal” are you ready to install
your display in the store window. The pet peeve of any shopkeeper is to
have his store upset while windows are being dressed, especially if the
job takes too long. Agree on the time convenient to him, then do the job
rapidly and neatly. Don’t send the whole gang over. Pick two or three
good workers and let them handle it. A good job done efficiently will
undoubtedly get you a return invitation next year.
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THE DUST OF THE ROUND-UP SETTLES
[Illustration]
★ The Round-Up that started along the Old Scouting Trail three months
ago is heading for the biggest event of all—the final “branding,” when
the “mavericks,” the new boys brought into Scouting this fall, are
formally and officially brought into the corral.
The “branding” ceremony, which should be staged in early December, can
be one of the most colorful events your Unit ever held. Put it on with
all the spirit and zip of a real western event. Use imagination in the
staging—a few corral fence rails in the background, a fire “burning” in
front, and the investiture team in cowboy togs. Think in western terms
when you write the investiture script. Act out the Round-Up and branding
with a nice combination of cowboy color and dignity, and your new boys
and your public will remember the night of the “branding” ceremony for a
long, long time.
When that final ceremony is staged, the “branding” done, we will have
time to lean back against the old corral fence and take stock of the
results.
_What do we see as the dust of our Round-Up settles?_ How well did we
round up the strays? Are there still boys “out there” who should be
getting Scouting, and who could be, if we were really on our toes?
Before _you_ hang up _your_ spurs and lariat, won’t you check up once
more on that boy that showed up at two or three meetings and looked as
though he wanted to join but somehow didn’t make it.
You might be surprised at what you would find if you called on his
folks—so often boys are kept out of Scouting because of
misunderstandings which can be so easily cleared up when you talk to the
parents. Lots of boys get that close to Scouting before they are shut
out. The extra time given to this personal follow-up will be some of the
best you ever spent on Scouting.
This may seem like a lot about membership, but remember, all of us who
really believe in Scouting’s value to a boy, want to do our part to
extend Scouting opportunity to as many boys as we can handle in our
Unit.
Membership facts, by the way, are a good measuring rod of our program.
When there’s fun and adventure in a Scout Unit most every boy wants to
join. When there’s always something new and interesting happening, they
want to stay in.
That’s what our membership figures really represent—our ability to
provide the _opportunity to join_, plus the _program that holds_.
Much of this fall’s Round-Up activity has been designed to provide more
of the _opportunity to join_, as well as a good deal of planning for
_the program that holds boys_. Now we need to follow through on that
program. That means _steady attention to the regular activities_,
whatever they may be—the Den meetings, the Patrol meetings and weekly
Troop or Senior Unit meetings, and _special attention to the highlights_
that serve to “point up” the boy’s Scouting experience.
What are some of these highlights? In Cub Scouting the monthly Pack
meetings are highlight events; each one is different and apparently more
interesting than those that have gone before.
Up and coming Boy Scout Troops and Senior Units plan their highlights in
a different way. They schedule at intervals through the year a number of
events specially chosen to give a lift and a purpose to the week-by-week
program. They use these special events as something to look forward to,
something to prepare for, and afterward, of course, to look back on with
happy memories.
Well, it’s time to boost ourselves off that old corral post and get
going. There’s things to do around this ranch and now’s the time to be
doing them!
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DON’T FORGET THE DENNER
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
for
CUB SCOUT LEADERS
◆ <— FOLLOW THIS TRAIL SIGN STARTING EACH ARTICLE
◆ The Denner is probably the most neglected and forgotten leader in Cub
Scouting. Yet he is one of the most important links between other Cub
Scout leaders and the Cub Scouts themselves.
The Denner is elected by the boys. While their standards may be
different from the standards of adults, you can probably trust them to
select the boy whose leadership they are most ready to accept.
If there is any influencing of the election, probably the best point to
bring out is that the older boy with more experience is usually the
best.
Usually the term of office is not long. However, there is no specific
limit. If the term is not too long, more boys will have an opportunity
to practice leadership. On the other hand, if it is too short, no Denner
serves long enough to become a really helpful leader.
=HIS RESPONSIBILITIES=
The Denner is the right-hand man of the Den Chief. Here are a few of the
responsibilities which the Denner in most Dens can and should assume:
1. Arrive early to prepare meeting place.
2. Meet with Den Chief and Den Mother to go over last minute plans for
the meeting.
3. There are times when he can lead games or songs. This will require
coaching from the Den Chief, and also some backing during the activity.
4. He often keeps and reads the Den diary although in some Dens another
member of the Den carries on this responsibility.
5. He can also help with simpler ceremonies. For example, he should lead
the Grand Howl and Living Circle. When the Den repeats the Den Promise
and the Law of the Pack, he is the logical leader.
=HIS BADGE OF OFFICE=
The Denner wears his Denner’s Stripe six inches below his left shoulder
seam. An Assistant Denner wears a single stripe in the same position.
The Denner relinquishes the badge of office when he no longer holds that
office. Only one boy in the Den wears the Denner’s stripes at any one
time. Explain to the Den that Denner’s Stripes are not an award for
service but a badge to designate the boy who holds the office. It should
be presented to the boy at a ceremony either at a Den Meeting or a
regular Pack Meeting.
=SOME GENERAL TIPS=
1. If the office is to seem important and worthwhile, the Denner must
have an active part in the leadership of Den activities.
2. Sometimes a boy becomes a little overbearing. You may have to tone
him down a bit, and make clear to him that one mark of a good leader is
to lead in such a way that folks like to follow.
3. Make the election of a Denner an important matter. Discuss it
thoroughly. Make clear to the boys that the boy they elect will
definitely be their leader once he is elected and they are then expected
to follow him.
4. Recognize the Denner. A bit of recognition will make his leadership
more helpful.
5. The Den Chief and the Den Mother should see that the Denner has a
happy experience. If the boys do not follow his leadership, it will tend
to discourage him from further leadership efforts.
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SCOUTING’S 39TH BIRTHDAY
[Illustration]
BLUE AND GOLD
WEEK
◆ Yes, we know it’s only December, but it’s not too early to begin to
think about the way your Pack will celebrate Boy Scout Week in February
of 1949. This will be Scouting’s 39th birthday, and it’s a time for
celebration for everybody related to the Boy Scouts of America.
Some Cub Scout Leaders feel since our birthday is called “Boy Scout
Week,” that the celebration includes only Boy Scouts. This simply isn’t
true; it’s the birthday of our Movement and those of us in Cub Scouting
are very much a part of the Scout Movement. So—here are a few advance
tips which will help you look ahead to February and make some plans.
More detailed tips will appear in January SCOUTING.
=ADVENTURE—THAT’S CUB SCOUTING=
As you know, each Boy Scout Week has its theme or big idea, and in 1949
it will be “Adventure—That’s Scouting.” Of course, to you that means
“Adventure—That’s Cub Scouting,” so you’ll be wanting to emphasize the
adventure part of our program.
As usual, Blue and Gold will be our program theme for February. This has
become a tradition in Cub Scouting. It’s an annual party occasion with
Boy Scout Week as its theme. Perhaps your Blue and Gold party will be in
the form of a potluck where everyone brings his own food, or perhaps
you’ll do it banquet style. However you do it, it will be the basis for
a month of preparation on the part of both Cub Scout Leaders and Cub
Scouts.
=THE UNIFORM=
Encourage parents to look ahead to Boy Scout Week and attempt to have
their boys in complete Cub Scout uniform by February. Cub Scouts will
want to wear their uniforms to school and to church. They will want
their uniforms in spick and span condition.
=SCOUT SUNDAY=
Plan ahead so that your Pack will fit into some scheme for attending
church on the Sunday of Boy Scout Week. If your Pack is sponsored by a
church, perhaps all boys who belong to that church will sit in a body
with their parents on that particular Sunday. Perhaps you could even
work out some plan whereby Cub Scouts will participate in the church
service or prepare an exhibit for the entrance hall of the church.
=YOUR SPONSORING INSTITUTION=
Perhaps your Pack is sponsored by a P.T.A. or a civic club which has
regular monthly meetings. If so, why not start working on a plan where
your Pack might have some part in the February meeting of the
organization. It is not necessary for the Cub Scouts themselves to
attend the meeting, but an exhibit or a display and perhaps several
representatives of the Pack would help to put the spotlight on Boy Scout
Week.
=WINDOW DISPLAYS=
Every Pack should try to prepare a Cub Scout window display in a
community store. If possible, pick a store window which is located in
the neighborhood of your Pack. These are the folks who will be most
interested in what you are doing. You will find some suggestions on Cub
Scout window displays in the January SCOUTING Magazine.
=SPECIAL PUBLICITY=
Urge your Cub Scouts to listen to the radio during Boy Scout Week. There
will be statements about Scouting in connection with all nationwide
programs. Try to fit into this general scheme in your community and get
some Pack news into your community paper.
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AMERICAN CUB SCOUT DEN IN PERU
[Illustration:
_By Mrs. A. R. Merz_
La Oroya, Peru
]
◆ “Gee, mother, all the Cubs are wearing their new uniforms to school
and there’s four—let me see, how many Cubs are there now? I guess five,
Cub caps in a row in the cloakroom, and now the two Scout caps, and,
gee, they look nice!”
It was Boy Scout Week and the five Cub Scouts and two Boy Scouts, whose
uniform accessories had just arrived from BSA Headquarters in New York
were 100% thrilled at the privilege of wearing their new gear every day
to school. The boys are members of Den One and Patrol One, the only
officially registered Scout groups in the Sierra of Peru, and doubtless
the highest in all the world—for the altitude where we live is 12,500
feet.
On January 7, 1947, the parents of the only four boys then eligible to
join any Scout group met and decided that even with so few it would be
worth everyone’s effort to start a Cub Den. We were all members of the
small mining camp (about 50 “gringo” families) of the extensive Cerro de
Pasco Copper Corporation called La Oroya.
Since then, four new boys of Cub Scout age have come to camp and been
admitted, and four of the original five have attained their twelfth
birthdays and are now enjoying their first meetings as a Boy Scout
Neighborhood Patrol. Without exception, the younger boys are all looking
forward to their ninth birthdays so that they may join the envied group
of Cub Scouts.
Our first month was dedicated to getting acquainted with Scouting
literature, its history and intent, and fixing up the gravel-floored
garage loaned to us as meeting place by the Cubmaster. We borrowed the
unused school workbench, decorated walls with Cub Scout plaques,
American and Den Flags, and the framed Den Charter. With the help of
local men, often not themselves fathers of Cub Scouts, we made many
things of wood, tin, and copper during the year. But the regular
meetings are held at the Den Mother’s home, or at the homes of all the
boys in rotation when the Den Mother is out of town.
Our theme for the second month was “Books,” when we learned how to care
for books and specialized in the Reading Achievement. Now the
company-sponsored Inca Club has a children’s book-shelf for the first
time in its thirty years.
During April and May we made musical instruments and practiced using
them—I can hardly say playing them—for a minstrel act that was part of a
five-part program we gave at the end of the school term in June.
In July we had our first “Pack” meeting—the same few boys, but with
their parents and the general manager and his wife as guests. Each boy
personally prepared one dish to be served, and each mother another, so
we had a generous banquet that night in the Golf club.
In December, with “Service” as our theme, we collected odds and ends of
broken or non-used toys and outgrown clothing. By mid-month the garage
was overflowing, and with the mothers we managed to get the hopeless
looking pile reduced to gifts in acceptable condition to distribute to
the poverty-stricken Indian children of Old Oroya.
Now, even as you, we are planning a minstrel show.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Music Minstrels
THEME for JANUARY
Pack 370, Portage, Wisconsin and Pack 7, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
[Illustration]
◆ This month there will be musical games, new Cub Scout songs to sing,
and a minstrel show planned and put on. It’s going to be a big month,
and the following ideas will help make it so.
Naturally, we can’t tell you which type of music is most typical in your
section. That is something Pack and Den leaders will discover during
December in preparation for the January theme. School music teachers can
help, as well as most libraries. Each Den can choose a song and do it in
costume for the minstrel show.
Of course, the boys of the Southwest will be singing cowboy songs such
as “Home On the Range,” “Headin’ For the Last Round-Up,” “Cowboy’s
Lament,” The boys of New England may choose to sing sea-farin’ chanteys,
such as “Blow the Man Down,” or “Reuben Ranzo.” (A laughable stunt would
be to have a Cub Scout on stage going through singing motions while a
hidden “_basso profundo_” sings “Rocked In the Cradle of the Deep.”)
Boys of the South will probably sing southern ballads and spirituals.
=HOMEMADE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS=
You will find this a most popular field with Cub Scouts. They can
actually make instruments that will have musical tones as well as being
comedy take-offs of actual instruments. You will find a page of ideas
for homemade musical instruments on page 17 of this issue of SCOUTING.
Naturally, it’s a lot more fun to make these instruments if the boys
know they are going to use them in your Pack meeting or minstrel show.
Perhaps each Den will have its own “kitchen cabinet” type of band. All
Dens can practice the same songs, then come together at the Pack meeting
in one big band and play them together.
Another interesting field is to make rhythm instruments which boys play
to the tune of a phonograph record. Rhythm instruments include pot cover
cymbals, rattles, blocks of wood, and tin cans.
=CUB SCOUT MUSICIANS=
Perhaps there is a boy in your Den who does most things poorly but plays
or sings well. This is the month he can shine. Encourage boys with
musical instruments to practice their best numbers and play or sing
solos for the minstrel.
You will probably find several boys in your Den, and surely a number in
your Pack, who will be interested in writing Den or Pack words to old
time songs. Occasionally we even find a boy or two who can compose
simple music and words so that a Den can have an entirely original song.
=GROUP AND FAMILY SINGS=
Why not suggest that each Den Mother invite boys and parents of her Den
into her home on a Sunday afternoon. They could sing old time songs
together, and boys who play instruments can put on an informal recital
for parents. Perhaps there will be a dad or mother who can sing a solo.
In addition to Den sings, families will enjoy singing together
occasionally. None of these things will happen—Den Mothers won’t think
to ask the parents over, and boys won’t be asked to play their
instruments—unless you push the idea.
=JANUARY PACK MEETING TIPS=
The Cubmaster or member of the Pack Committee can give a short talk on
the importance of parents looking for opportunities to recognize their
sons for having done projects found in the Achievement Program. Many
times boys will complete projects without realizing they are meeting a
requirement for an Achievement. For example, a boy may make a boat just
because he is going to a lake and would like to have one to sail. Unless
his parents point out that he has met the requirements for the Model
Boats Elective, he may never receive credit for it.
Opportunity should be given for parents to ask questions on the
Achievement Program. The Cubmaster should also cover current items, such
as condition of the Pack Thrift Plan, attendance, etc.
=JOINT MEETING=.
You will find minstrel show tips on page 16, but here are a few
suggestions on how your meeting may be adapted to the minstrel show
idea:
If there are badges to award, award them immediately after the separate
meeting, so you will not cut into minstrel show time. Before the show
explain to the boys the program for the month ahead, and interest them
in the Blue and Gold party.
Skip a formal closing this month. Close your Pack meeting with the grand
finale of the minstrels. Make all announcements before the show begins.
On page 16 you will find some ideas on preparing and staging your
minstrel show. Here we are concerned mostly with the regular Pack
meeting outline.
=Pre-Opening.=
During the pre-opening, boys remain in uniforms rather than wear
minstrel costumes. Save the costumes as a surprise. Each Den should have
a table available for exhibits developed during the month, especially
homemade instruments, music scrapbooks, Cub Scout-composed music, etc.
=Separate Meetings.=
During this period Den leaders, with the help of others if necessary,
should help the boys get ready for the minstrel show. It will not be
difficult in the time allowed, because in most minstrels only end men
wear blackface. Leaders should also make sure the boys know their songs,
jokes, and stories. Just before opening the joint meeting, the boys
should be lined up ready to begin the minstrel.
While the boys are busy reading for the minstrel, the Cubmaster meets
with all parents. Since the January Pack Leaders’ meeting will probably
take place before the January Pack meeting, plans will probably be well
established for the Blue and Gold party in February.
The Cubmaster should explain Blue and Gold plans to parents, doing his
best to build their enthusiasm for making it the high spot of the entire
year. He should explain the way in which food will be handled, announce
the names of those who will serve on committees, etc.
* * * * *
You’ll find specific helps for planning and producing your minstrel
show, as follows: PROGRAMS (“Gentlemen, Be Seated”) page 16; Homemade
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS page 17, and DEN REHEARSALS (“Den Doings”) page 19.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
GENTLEMEN
Be Seated
Minstrel Program of Pack 18, Prospect Park, Pa.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
=Tips For Your Pack Minstrels=
◆ _Program and Publicity_: Plan an attractive mimeographed announcement
for your show, and deliver it to parents in advance.
_Costumes_: Almost anything goes. In some minstrels all actors are
blackface. This appeals to boys, although it presents problems for the
make-up crew. Blackface make-up may be bought at most drug stores. Burnt
cork is an old favorite. In many minstrel shows the cast remains in
white-face with simple costumes, while the end men wear bright, comic
costumes and blackfaces. Either way is good, so take your choice....
It’s a good idea to have all boys except the end men dressed alike. If
they are to be blackfaced, have each bring a black sock which can be
pulled tight over the head to hide the hair. A white shirt with a black
tie (cloth or paper), black trousers and socks, and dark shoes complete
the costume. It also adds a nice effect if every boy can wear white
gloves. Even white canvas work gloves will serve nicely.
_Stage Setting_: If you have a fairly good-sized stage, try to arrange
chairs or benches on different levels so that all performers can be
seen. Decorate the back of the stage with large paper musical notes
pasted on a background of paper, and perhaps a sign reading
“Welcome.”... Footlights and spotlights help the show but are not
necessary for success. You can buy spot bulbs at hardware stores....
Even without a stage, you can arrange your chairs or benches on
different levels so that you have the effect of a stage.
_Program_: Plan your program so you don’t need the entire Pack at
rehearsals. Features which will be participated in by the entire cast
(for example, opening and closing chorus), can be rehearsed by each Den,
then sung together at the show. Here are some good numbers for your
opening chorus: “Dixie,” “Minstrel Days,” “We’re Here For Fun” (see page
6, _Cub Scout Song Book_), “Hello, Hello, Hello,” “When You Wore A
Tulip,” “Down South,” etc.... Each Den can prepare whatever acts time
will allow, and ought to supply at least two solos, either vocal or
instrumental. Solos can be alternated with the Den stunts. The stunts
can include such items as homemade orchestras, Den chorus, Den tap
dance, Den skits, etc.... Much of the success depends upon the end men.
Two or four sit on each side of the front line and pass jokes and
stories back and forth with the interlocutor. The interlocutor can be
either an adult or boy, and it is his job to keep the show running
smoothly and to prompt those who forget their cues. Most libraries have
several books on minstrel shows, and you will find some good stories in
them. Give them a local twist and they will seem funnier.
From “Way Down South in Dixie”
we bring you the one and only
PROSPECT PARK CUB PACK
18’S OWN BIG MINSTREL
May 25th 1948
=PROGRAMME=
PART I 7:45 P.M. Opening “Dixie” Entire Company Dens 1, 2 and 4.
Interlocutor’s Welcome Edward Hinderliter
DEN 1
Saxophone Solo, Specialty Solo, Cornet Solo
Chorus Number and End-Men Hilarity
DEN 2
Selections by the World-Famous Den 2 Chorus
and End-Men Jollity
DEN 4
Musical Duet, Specialty Number Supported by
Entire Den, the Celebrated Den 4 Chorus Featuring
their Den Song, End-Men Mirth
Closing “Oh Susanna” Entire Company Dens 1, 2 and 4.
Graduations, Investures, Awards
INTERMISSION