Re: 1953 Handbook for PL
Michael F. Bowman (mfbowman@CAPACCESS.ORG)
Wed, 19 Nov 1997 23:20:06 -0500
Jon,
I've noticed the same trend in BSA literature - thinner and thinner for
handbooks. My 1930s vintage Scoutmaster Handbook is actually a two
volume set hardbound and both volumes are twice as thick as the current
issue. That set even has the menus from the National Jamboree and step
by step instructions on all manner of Scoutcraft items.
This led me to wonder why things have changed so much in how the books
have come out. Some of the answers that I've gotten may be helpful, some
not.
Some of the material that used to be in a single book is now available in
other publications. At first Scouting started out with the idea that a
single book ought to do the trick for everything. Get the boy to buy a
handbook and that's all he'll need.
However, the books grew in size and cost. At the same time more and more
literature was being published. Eventually an effort was made to weed
out material in handbooks that was available in another publication to
avoid duplication and expense.
In addition some material was dropped as out-of-date or no longer part of
the program. Other material that had been emphasized like cooking
slipped out when cooking was no longer required for Eagle.
More shifts in program resulted in more changes to the literature.
Over time some of the wonderful resources that were once part of the
handbooks have been weeded out maybe too much to the point of disappearing.
The tough thing is that very few folks have a large grasp of all the
material that has been in print vice what is now in print. And it is
sometimes hard to pinpoint what isn't covered somewhere.
When I talked to National about publications a few years ago with the
idea of introducing a new book, I got a long story about how hard it had
been to get a consensus on what to put in the last edition of the
handbook. Apparently the process of arriving at what to have in the
handbook engendered such emotion and feeling that the volunteers and
professionals involved in the process were nearly unable to finish the
effort and were a few years behind when they had targeted.
Mike Walton can probably tell you who to write to better than I can. My
point in writing is to give a bit of background so that you will know
what you are up against. I tend to think that it would be great to have
more information in the handbooks all around. To get that information
there will require some pretty persuasive proposals that demonstrate why
the information is important, that the information is otherwise hard to
find in other literature or non-existent, and reasoning that shows why
including the information will further program aims and methods.
Mike
Speaking only for myself in the Scouting Spirit, Michael F. Bowman
E-mail: mfbowman@capaccess.org Visit: ftp1.scouter.com/usscouts
U. S. Scouting Service Project FTP Site Administrator (PC Area)
Helping to deliver the promise of Scouting from Alexandria, Virginia
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