Scouting, Volume 6, Number 31, December 12, 1918 Page: 1
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SCOUTING
Published Weekly by National Headquarters, Boy Scouts of America
For Scout Officials and Others Interested In Work for Boys
Subscription Price $1.00 a year. Office of publication, 200 Fifth Ave., New York, N. y.
Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in Section 1103, Act of
October 3, 1917, authorized June 13, 1918.
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Vol. VI.
XEW YORK, N. Y., DECEMBER 12, 1918
Xo. 31
Registration Records Show Improvement
Many Parts of the Country Recovering From the Effects of
the Influenza Epidemic. Records on December 31st
to Show Actual Conditions
Does Your Troop Have 32 Members?
As a result of the letter to all Scout Ex-
ecutives, urging co-operation in meeting
the emergency concerning decreased regis-
trations occasioned by the Influenza Epi-
demic and war time conditions, there has
been a very wholesome response from the
entire held.
In many communities the reports indi-
cate that they have not experienced the
results reflected by the records at the Na-
tional Office. The Allegheny County Coun-
cil, for instance, shows an actual substantial
increase in registrations. Mr. Ehler, the
Executive, explains this by pointing out
that his overhead organization had been
adequate to meet the problem as it de-
veloped. Other scout centers make clear
that while there has been a decrease in
their registration, there has been no actual
decrease in the number of boys enrolled
and engaged in Scouting.
The reports fully justify the analysis
which has been made as to reason for the
apparent falling off in registrations, and
from all sources the evidence indicates that
as never before, Scouting is thoroughly
appreciated and more boys are actually
carrying out its program.
Many communities are planning aggres-
sively for a systematic recruiting cam-
paign for men and scouts during Anni-
versary Week. In some places already
campaigns are under way to bring up the
membership of each registered troop to 32
members.
The Manhattan Council, New York City,
is just completing such a campaign. Mr.
Nesslage, the Scout Executive, discovered
that a large proportion of his troops with
capable scoutmasters and assistant scout-
masters had less than 32 boys. In some
cases they had but 12 or 15 boys. Arrange-
ments were made for an intensive cam-
paign to recruit boys- from the institutions
in which the troops were located so that
in each case the troop would have a full
membership of 32 boys. This is an excel-
lent idea. Undoubtedly many _ other scout
centers will want to profit by it.
One very encouraging feature of the re-
ports of registration for the first nine days
of December is that there has been an in-
crease of nearly 100% in the number of
troops and scouts re-registering, as com-
pared with the same period of the previ-
ous year. Indeed the records for the whole
year in this respect are very encouraging.
On December 9th our records showed 333,-
064 boys registered in good standing, as
compared with 283,581 on the same day last
year. Can we make it 350,000 before Janu-
ary 1st, 1919? What will you do to help?
IMPORTANT SCOUTING
ACTIVITY THREATENED
A bill introduced in the House of Rep-
resentatives on November 21 by Repre-
sentative Alexander of Missouri threatens
a most interesting Scouting activity.
The title of the bill is "HR 13159 To
Further Regulate Radio Communications."
It was referred to the Committee on the
Merchant Marine and Fisheries and sched-
uled for hearing on December 12.
The accounts which appeared in the
newspapers were generally interpreted as in-
dicating that the radio amateur would still be
allowed to erect, maintain or operate for
experimental and private use, radio stations
if properly licensed. A careful examination
of the bill shows that the radio amateur is
not mentioned and that the effect of the
bill would be to prevent any person not
connected with the Navy (excepting scien-
tists) to have anything whatever to do with
radio communication.
The reasons for this attempt to eliminate
the radio amateur are not known to our
organization. Navy officers say that the
Navy needs the radio amateur. The work
of the scouts in discovering illegal radio
outfits during the war is well known.
Just now we are incorporating in the
Handbook for Boys, a merit badge in Ra-
dio. If this bill should pass, this merit
badge could not be awarded.
The first scout who gave his life for our
country in the world war was Luther
Weaver of Brooklyn, who as a radio ama-
teur, became so proficient that he was ac-
cepted as an operator on the U. S. Trans-
port Alcedo. He went down with her.
FINAL CLEAN-UP OF
RED POST CARDS
There are still 1,666,000 Red Post Cards
in Washington in addition to those in the
hands of the State Directors.
A million and two-thirds cards at the
present price of cardboard represent a lot
of money which will be a total loss unless
the Boy Scouts of America fulfill their
agreement with the Treasury Department
and secure the signatures of prospective
purchasers of War Savings Stamps and
Thrift Stamps.
The records of faithful scouts in all parts
of the country show that whenever they
have leadership in the War Savings Stamp
drive they succeed.
Buffalo established the following record
for a period of eight months :
March $15,029.50
April 12,789.25
May 9,842.00
Tune 15,380.25
July 27,073.50
August 19,133.50
September 16,321.50
October (3 Weeks) 17,745.75
Up to the last of November, Troop 1, of
Flat Rock, 111., secured orders amounting to
$12,615.75.
In Rockwell City, la., twenty-four scouts
made 1,001 sales, amounting to $50,018.50.
Four of these scouts secured sales amount-
ing to over $5,000, and two other sales
amounting to $3,000.
The Scout Executive of Spokane, Wash.,
reports that one scout in Troop 4 has quali-
fied for an ace medal and 550 palms.
Carbondale, Pa., Troop 2, up to the latter
part of November, had made 950 sales,
amounting to $23,555. Every scout in the
Troop has qualified for the achievement
button.
These reports from widely separated com-
munities, some of them great cities and oth-
ers small villages, show that neither the size
of the town nor its location affect sales. It
is leadership, plus the energy and enthusi-
asm of the boy, which can always be relied
upon, which produces results.
Now that the plan has been simplified so
that the scoutmaster's record, certified to
the National Council, determines the award
to the scout, there is no hindrance to the
vigorous prosecution of the campaign.
Let us send Uncle Sam a New Year's
greeting saying that the Boy Scouts of
America have used all of the Red Post
Cards printed for them and have gone "over
the top" with more than fifty million dol-
lars in sales.
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 6, Number 31, December 12, 1918, periodical, December 12, 1918; New York, New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth283000/m1/1/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.