forrest747

@SiouxRanger There is no one on this forum with the forum name “Just Ku Kluxin’ Around.” Most here would call that the title of the thread for this topic. To enlighten your historical knowledge a bit, “Just Ku Kluxin’ Around” was the title of a recurring column in the Klan’s Houston newspaper (1910s-1920s) “Colonel Mayfield’s Weekly.” The column reported on that week’s light-hearted, jovial Klan activities. An historical reference in the historical sub-forum seems entirely appropriate, but feel free to take umbrage if that helps to advance your own interests. Your descri

gpgurlee: You got me curious. Montclair's research mostly says that High Adventure programs have the most impact on character development. Below is the link to the reports published to date by the Montclair University research study on the Boy Scouts. "With funding from the Stephen D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, we are working with Boy Scouts of America to conduct research to better understand how scouting helps to build character. We are collaborating with a team at the National BSA office as well as American Institutes for Research (AIR) to develop a model of adult volunteer trainin

I've done a lot of research on my Houston, TX scout troop. In the 1910s and 1920s, troop meetings included 10-ft wall scaling, boxing and wrestling. On the trip across the Atlantic for the 1929 World Jamboree, "... in boxing matches with the New Orleans scouts, (the Houston troop) won all honors." Walt Hearn was a 1930s scout in my troop. At our 70th Reunion, Walt read this poem that he wrote about his favorite game at troop meetings: Roughneck. Along with other super fun activities like wall scaling, boxing, wrestling and pool noodle fights, today's Scouts BSA would not allow Roughneck.

A copy of a decoration that the sculptor, Dr. McKenzie, had previously seen on a Canadian Guide's axe?

Chief Scout Executive James E. West visited Houston in late January 1923. The following quotes are from Jan 23-24, 1923 Houston Chronicle articles. The Ku Klux Klan was very much in the national headlines. While he does not explicitly mention the Klan, I believe Mr. West's remarks which follow are directly aimed at the Klan. "At this time when the spirit of intolerance apparently is gaining such headway in the social life of this great American government I think it would be appropriate for every big daily newspaper in the United States to carry the 12th Scout Law in big headlines so

I have done a bit more Internet sleuthing. Here are what a few sites say about the beaver symbol. Perseverance is a common theme, as is industry. 1) A description of an 1830s British wax seal of a beaver says that beavers are symbolic of abundance, industry & perseverance. 2) "The beaver builds dams and dikes in the river with branches and mud. It is aware that the river's current is endless, and that in many cases the result of its work will be affected by the movement of water, dragging away the materials with which the beaver built its creation. But that does not stop the bea

The 20 Dec 1931 issue of the Houston Chronicle, describes the award ceremony of the first two men in Houston to receive the Silver Beaver Award. The article contains this sentence: "Each was presented with a silver beaver, emblematic of perseverance." The article has a photo of the parchment certificate. As an aside, my search also revealed that Ferris Bueller's father was a Silver Beaver recipient. At the 1 hr, 8 minute mark of the movie, he claims that there is a framed Silver Beaver certificate in the hallway.

The Ku Klux Klan was a staunch supporter of the Boy Scouts. In the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan donated money to worthy causes like the Salvation Army, hospitals, churches, widows, needy families including those whose homes had burned down — and to the Boy Scouts. ========= In 1921, the Ku Klux Klan, Sam Houston Chapter No. 1 donated a dining hall to Houston’s first boy scout camp, Camp Masterson. For anonymity, the Klan sent a letter with $500 to the Gerner Lumber Company with instructions to build the dining hall, and afterward announce thru the press the total cost and a check would be sent

Dr. McKenzie made the presentation address at the unveiling of the life size statue in front of Philadelphia Council headquarters, June 12, 1937, and related some of the early developments of the statue. The following is an excerpt from his remarks: As the model was being completed, the Scout Executive, Horace P. Kern, observed that the axe handle was not quite in accord with the Scout axe and Dr. McKenzie scraped off some of the clay to adjust the shape of the handle. In doing so, he finished with a ball of clay. He used it to create a deer's hoof at the end of the axe handle, to copy a

... or just in Houston, TX. My research has touched on Houston's early scout troops. Many had nicknames: Troop 2, "the Black Cats"; Troop 4, "the Eastwood Texas Rangers"; Troop 5 "the Bob White Troop"; Troop 8, "the Sharks"; Troop 10, "the Sycamores"; Troop 16, "Houston's Pride'; Troop 20, "the Indians'; Troop 24, "the Pirates". The nicknames sort of made sense. Troop 16 won the early Field Days. Troop 8 won the swim meets. Troop 24 was affiliated with a Sea Scout Ship, "the Jolly Roger." OK, fine. But there was a practical reason for the nicknames because it took a Very Long T

Skeptic, My experience is very different. My best sources were the newspapers. Houston's COH newspaper articles give a complete listing of earned merit badges and scout ranks (two attached). For Houston scout meetings, the troop scribes wrote up each week's meeting to be printed in the paper (one attached). Very cool to know exactly what happened at my troop's meetings from 1914 to 1924. Never asked my local council for anything because they donated 45 linear feet of historical records to the Public Library Archives. Most helpful were the Eagle scout records and the Annual Repo

From the Troop 11 History, Houston, Texas (1990), sponsored by First Presbyterian Church. "OSCAR HIBLER BECOMES SCOUTMASTER The troop committee recruited church member Oscar Hibler to become scoutmaster in January 1949. Mr. Hibler had been ASM of Troop 16 at Sutton School. Troop 11 had been without a scoutmaster for three months. When Mr. Hibler took over, Troop 11 had fifteen active scouts and two active visitors. As Mr. Hibler recalls, the boys refused to wear uniforms and only wanted to play. His strong emphasis on scouting principles caused many to leave. Recruitment became a p

No History Committee nor a council historian. Minor Huffman's 1985 history is the only published book. SHAC does not know what to do with the unsold copies of Minor Huffman's "Sam Houston Scouts." I am told the extra copies sit in a closet somewhere. I am surprised the SHAC History is not available in the Scout Store, which is right there in the SHAC Service Center, about 40 yards from that closet. Nelson Block is a Houston scouter. For the last thirty years, Nelson has published the Journal of Scouting History, but that is for all scouting topics: local, national and world sco

Coming late to the party, but I will add the Scouting Histories that I know of. 1) http://www.westtexasscoutinghistory.net/ Original focus was on West Texas, but it has grown to include early scout troops from all over Texas. Very good site, especially for those interested in "which Texas scout troop is the oldest...." Lots of photos. 2) Jack Linn, "Sam Houston Area Council History," 1964, unpublished typewritten manuscript. Texas Metropolitan Research Center (TMRC), Special Collection RGF-7. The TMRC is also known as the Houston Public Library Archives. Chapter called "In