Re: AFS Scouts and Flag/Uniform Respect
Michael F. Bowman (mfbowman@CAP.GWU.EDU)
Wed, 14 Sep 1994 06:10:15 -0400
Chuck raised an interesting point about BSA beginning to discourage a
Scouts-military connection in WWII. At the time of our original charter
(1915) Europe was in its second year of what has become known as WWI.
At that time BSA uniforms were very similar to military uniforms of the
day and there was concern that BSA might be come a para-military
preparatory organization. This was dispelled in the chartering process.
The Judiciary Committee of the House in recommending passage of the Act
creating the Charter stated:
"The Boy Scout movement is no one seeking to promote a juvenile military
system, but is intended to supplement and enlarge established modern
educational facilities in activities in the great and healthful out of
doors where may be the better developed physcial strength and endurance,
self-reliance, and the posers of initiative and resourcefulness, all for
the purpose of establishing through the boys of today the very highest
type of American citizenzhip." House Report 130, 64th Cong., 1st Sess.
From its beginning BSA has been careful to avoid a direct connection with
the military. But the need to make this clear became extremely important
with the onset of WWII. There was a need to make clear that we were not
running an equivalent of the Hitler Youth which eventually became
compulsory for all youth between 10 and 18 and also became the largest
youth organization in the Western World up to that time. When Germany was
planning its invasion of Western Europe and later England, attentions was
given to planning the roundup of Scout leaders and suppression of Scouting
as a potentially dangerous para-military organization (a case of we see
others through our own reflection). A lot of the "discouragement" of a
connection was really aimed at blunting propaganda and preventing a
comparison.
Yours in Scouting, Michael F. Bowman, a/k/a Professor Beaver
Deputy District Commissioner Exploring, GW Dist., NCAC, BSA
Speaking only for myself, but with Scouting Spirit . . .
____ mfbowman@CAP.GWU.EDU ____
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
