Historical Highlights

Historical Highlights - 1940's

1940: Boy Scouts served again at the New York World's Fair and at the Golden Gate Exposition in San Francisco. A Boy Scout program for helping in national emergencies and government defense programs was adopted. Outstanding events included troop inventory and roll call, adoption of emergency service corps, and mobilization plans. Membership, December 31, was 1,449,412. Total members to date, 9,558,869.

1941: With the declaration of war, the government requested Boy Scout servicefor the distribution of defense bonds and stamp posters; collection ofaluminum and wastepaper; defense housing surveys; victory gardens; distribution of air-raid posters; cooperation with the American Red Cross; and, by joint agreement with the Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization, services inthree capacities—messengers, assisting emergency medical units, and firewatchers. Waite Phillips made another large gift—land, residence and ranchbuildings, livestock, operating ranch equipment—contiguous to PhilturnRockymountain Scoutcamp, bringing total acreage to more than 127,000 acres.The area was renamed Philmont Scout Ranch. He also presented the PhiltowerBuilding in Tulsa, Okla., the income from which was to be used for operatingand developing the camp. The 31st annual meeting was held in Washington,D.C. Membership, December 31, was 1,522,302. Total members to date, 10,165,060.

1942: Scouts continued in war service. Twenty-eight projects were requested bythe government, including the collection of 30 million pounds of rubberin a 2-week drive; all-out salvage based on the government-issued pamphletScrapand How Scouts Collect It; distribution of pledge cards for war bondsand savings stamps; victory gardens; work on farms and in harvest camps;and government dispatch bearers. The 32nd annual meeting was held in Minneapolis-St.Paul. The Air Scouts program for boys 15 years of age and older was developed.Membership, December 31, was 1,553,080. Total members to date, 10,769,041.

1943: Scouts rendered war service at the request of the government in four generalclassifications: collections—aid in salvage drives; distribution, as officialdispatch bearers for government pamphlets and posters; production; andconservation. The first Silver Antelope Awards were presented for distinguishedservice to youth within a region. The Pan-American project was developed.Chief Scout Executive James E. West became Chief Scout, and Dr. ElbertK. Fretwell was appointed Chief Scout Executive. Dr. George J. Fisher becameNational Scout Commissioner. Long trousers and the Scout cap were madea part of the official uniform. The 33rd annual meeting was held in NewYork. Membership, December 31, was 1,613,783. Total members to date, 11,477,483.

1944: The Whole Scout Family was emphasized, with stress on the three branchesof the Scout program. World brotherhood was emphasized in the continuationof the world jamboree and World Friendship program. The Inter-AmericanYouth Leaders' Training project was inaugurated, and students from LatinAmerican countries, in cooperation with the coordinator of Inter-American affairs, attended the National Training School and toured the eastern United States and Canada. The World Friendship Fund to help restore Scouting indevastated countries was inaugurated. Membership, December 31, was 1,866,356.Total members to date, 12,289,614.

1945: The total Boy Scout war service included 69 requests from the governmentduring 1941 through 1945. General Dwight D. Eisenhower's outstanding WastepaperCampaign culminated in the General Eisenhower Award—a gold medal was presentedto him in December by the Boy Scouts of America in appreciation. Otherservice included collections in many communities, distribution of circularson conservation projects, and the Green Thumb program. Twenty thousandScouts earned the General Douglas MacArthur Medal for growing food. TheWorld Friendship Fund increased; $10,000 was allocated to the Philippines. The "Shirts Off Our Back" campaign was inaugurated to help Scouts abroad. The Army Air Force cooperated in the Air Scouts program. World brotherhood literature was published. Increased emphasis was placed on visual education as a means of training. Membership, December 31, was 1,977,463. Total members to date, 13,073,629.

1946: The first contribution in a program of continuing support came from theGrant Foundation—$257,500 for a 5-year expansion of the volunteer trainingprogram. The camping program was improved, and camp activities became moretroop-centered. Sixteen hundred Senior Scouts camped at Philmont ScoutRanch. Scouts carried through three national postwar service projects requestedby the government. The First Inter-American Scout Conference was held inBogota, Colombia. President Head retired after 20 years of service, andAmory Houghton was elected president. Membership, December 31, was 2,063,397. Total members to date, 13,882,639.

1947: Basic Boy Scout requirements were authorized—putting equal emphasis onScout spirit, Scout participation, and Scoutcraft skills. Similar revisionsmade Cub Scouting more effective. The Eighth National Training Conferencefor Scout Executives took place in September at Indiana University. TheInternational Scout Conference of Scout Leaders from 112 countries meeting at Chateau Rosny near Paris adopted a revised constitution and bylaws.The Sixth World Jamboree in Moisson, France, in August brought together32,000 Scouts from 38 countries; the American delegation numbered 1,151.Membership, December 31, was 2,141,984. Total members to date, 14,710,853.

1948: Dr. Arthur A. Schuck became the third Chief Scout Executive, September1; Dr. Elbert K. Fretwell was elected Chief Scout. The 38th annual meetingwas held in Seattle, Wash. The Order of the Arrow was integrated in thenational camping program. Philmont, the world's largest Scout camp, enrolled2,275 individual campers. The conservation program was extended. Basictraining for all unit leaders was emphasized. Twelve Scouts presented theReport to the Nation to President Harry S. Truman and to United Nationsofficials. The First International Commissioners' Conference was held atKandersteg, Switzerland. Membership, December 31, was 2,210,766. Totalmembers to date, 15,538,867.

1949: The crusade to "Strengthen the Arm of Liberty" was inaugurated in February.A dramatic ceremony was held at the base of the Statue of Liberty. Agelevels were lowered—Cub Scouting, 8 through 10; Boy Scouting, 11 through14; Exploring, 14 and up. The manual on citizenship was published. Newprocedures for physically disabled boys were adopted. Troop advancementprocedures were emphasized. Five hundred forty-three councils owned 831campsites with 288,545 acres, at an estimated value of $10,525,731 in landand $17,436,306 in equipment. The National Council held its 39th annualmeeting in Boston. Membership, December 31, was 2,579,515. Total membersto date, 16,686,517.