Scouting, Volume 1, Number 7, July 15, 1913 Page: 6
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6 ' SCOUTING.
AN ILLUMINATING EXPLANATION OF THE SERVICES
RENDERED BY THE SCOUTS' NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
THE question is often asked, "What
does National Headquarters actually
do?" The monthly work report,
printed on this page, is an indication.
But the following statement will give a
more intimate view of the numerous de-
tails incident to the administration of
this national movement which, under the
volunteer leadership of approximately
7,000 Scout Masters, is reaching about
300,000 boys with influences which are
universally recognized as uncommonly
beneficial.
The National Headquarters gives gen-
eral leadership and service for the
whole country in—
1. Fixing upon and maintaining a
standard of national emblems, badges
and ideals in the development of the
movement as a brotherhood of which
each local troop is a distinctive factor.
2. The protection of the movement
against those who would, because of its
popularity, profit by exploitation at the
expense of the boy.
3. The development and certification
of responsible leadership.
(a) In organizing from thirty to fifty local
councils each month which represents National
Headquarters in giving promotion and direc-
tion to the movement locally.
(b) Carefully investigating from four hun-
dred to six hundred applications of men will-
ing to serve without pay as Scout Masters and
Assistants each month. Fully two-thirds of
these applications come from communities
where there are no local councils and involve
correspondence with six or more references
in each case.
4. The preparation, the publication
—ifn'u ^^nWuiuir Ji' tiAiuixr^Trs~aiT^-i'6Vi?gi
literature for the use of each Scout and
Scout Master and local council through-
out the country.
5. The publication of a semi-monthly
bulletin "Scouting" which is sent gra-
tuitously to all scout officials.
6. Designing and securing the manu-
facture at special reduced prices of de-
sirable equipment with the co-operation
of experts who volunteer their services.
7. The publication of a high grade
magazine for all boys with the volunteer
contributions of distinguished men and
authors.
8. Developing a book department and
library commission composed of expert
book men, who are, for the first time
in history, making available reliable ad-
vice as to worth while books for boys,
and furthermore under the leadership
of this department, arranging with pub-
lishers for a higher grade of books for
boys at prices which will compete with
the trashy material now flooding the
markets. The results of this department
Ttefinite lists carefully
sub-divided are made available without
charge to librarians, local councils,
troops and parents of boys throughout
the country. Many hundreds of parents
are already being given special advice
as to courses of reading for their boys.
9. Developing' consistently as a move-
ment instead of an organization, thereby
giving incalculable impetus through our
publicity and promotion work to the
welfare of boys generally. Existing or-
ganizations are with the cordial co-
operation of the National Headquarters
adopting the scout program to stimulate
their own work. Boys' work directors
in such organizations acknowledge their
MILTON SOCIAL SERVICE LEAGUE
Mattapan, Mass.
Boy Scout Headquarters,
200 Fifth Avenue,
New York City.
Gentlemen:
"SCOUTING" for July 1, 1913, asks the question "What shall we
do about the method of financial support?"
It seems to me that this is the nail that ought to be hit on the head.
Articles three and nine of the Scout Law state that a boy must be helpful
and that he must be thrifty, "generous to those in need, and helpful to
worthy objects." Why cannot 300,000 boys have the opportunity to pay
the way of this their own movement? Why cannot they support agents
at National Headquarters who for them will present to other boys, not
yet Scouts, the aims and benefits of the Scout movement?
Getting "SCOUTING" and other literature from Scout Headquarters
free, is getting something for nothing and is not worthy of Scoutsman-
ship. If after a year or more of help from charity the Scout movement
cannot support itself, it ought to go onto the philanthropic junk heap.
Nor ought this to be a half and half affair. It deadens all incentive to
give on the part of our local Scouts if they know that if their own pennies
are not forthcoming, a lot of rich folks over in New York will maintain
Headquarters.
July 6, 1913.
Yours faithfully,
(Signed) JOHN W. DeBRUYN,
General Secretary, Milton Social Service League.
Scout Master Troop, No. 1, Milton, Mass.
Headquarters Work Report.
June 1-30,1913.
■ —
Mail Received 11,616 5,599
Mail Sent Out
Letters 25,906 7,592
Postals 906 815
News 248 6,981
Scout Master's Certificates 354 372
Assistant's " .... 116 92
Commissioner's " 42 30
Scouting 20,000 —
Total Letters 47,572 15,882
Badges 1,153 512
Uniforms 486 —
Printed Matter 751 582
Equipment 565 317
Total Orders 2,955 1,411
Employees 55 41
Visitors 478 —
indebtedness to National Headquarters
for its leadership in the creation of a
literature on boys' work.
10. Providing a National Court of
Honor by which consideration is given
to five hundred or six hundred applica-
tions each month for merit badges and
to numerous other claims for special
honor medals.
11. Making possible practical results
by providing for co-operation with State
and National Civic authorities in carry-
ing out definite programs for community
service by boy scouts in sanitary matters
and the various conservation policies.
12. Maintaining two field men whose
services are available to local councils
and Scout Masters in organizing their
work and solving problems. This has
proven wholly inadequate and makes
necessary a very extensive correspond-
ence with local councils and Scout Mas-
ters with reference to their problems.
All of this service has been made
available because of the unselfish devo-
tion of men of affairs, men of special
training and ability who as members of
the National Council, its various com-
mittees and officers have enthusiastically
Lvf£o
of the movement because of their inter-
est in boys.
The expenses of maintaining National
Headquarters to do this work for the
movement is based upon the following
budget for 1913:
Rent $2,900
Furniture and fixtures, including
typewriters '. 1,000
Printing, multigraphing and office
supplies 6,000
Postage 5,000
Traveling and general expense.. 4,000
Telephone and telegraph 1,800
'$20,700
Salaries:
Executive Dept. (13 people) ... .$13,356
Financial Dept. (3 people) 5,320
■ Field Work (8 people) 6,280
Editorial Work and Publicity
(3 people) 2,520
Accounting Dept. (2 people) .... 1,320
Filing Department (4 people) . .. 1,944
Scout Masters' Department (12
people) 7,860
38,600
$59,300
_ This does not include the Supply and Maga-
zine Departments which are self-supporting.
The comparatively small expense in
creating and maintaining this extensive,
helpful movement has up to date been
met by- a small group of people who
considered it unwise to handicap the
work during the period of organization
by a general appeal for funds. During
the past year an effort has been made
to develop a large constituency.
Incident to this effort, the suggestion
has come from Scouts, Scout Masters
and other Scout officials in various parts
of the country that the Scout movement
should be developed on a self-supporting
basis and that the boys themselves
should be given an opportunity to do
something definite in this direction. In-
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 1, Number 7, July 15, 1913, periodical, July 15, 1913; New York, New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth282636/m1/6/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.