Strengthen the Arm of Liberty

[RememberSchiff 3261]

Scouts are like squirrels,

they forget where they bury things.

Schenectady, NY

 "A Statue of Liberty replica that was erected in Liberty Park by the Boys Scouts in 1950 is looking for a new home. Schenectady was one of six locations in New York that had enough interested and enthusiastic Boys Scouts to order a statue.

Due to construction in that area of State Street, across from the former YMCA, the replica has been put in the city garage on Foster Avenue for safekeeping. But Mayor Gary R. McCarthy expects it to have a new home soon....

The replica is about 8 1/2 feet tall without its base. It is made of sheet copper and weighs about 290 pounds. The cost of the replica was about $350 at the time it was installed.

When construction workers moved the statue out of Liberty Park in August, they unearthed a time capsule that was buried by the Boy Scouts when the replica was installed.

"It was supposed to be opened in 2000, but it never was," said Joe Berlant, the retired deputy director for development for the city of Schenectady and a former Boy Scout leader. "The Schenectady Council of the Boy Scouts dissolved around 1991 or '92, so the folks immediately involved in the statue and the time capsule had lost track of this."

There were around 200 Boy Scout groups around the country that participated in a program in 1950 to erect Statue of Liberty replicas in their communities. The Schenectady group also put the time capsule — a small box made of sheet copper — under the base of the replica. When officials opened it, the only item inside was ..."

more details and photos at source link

https://dailygazette.com/article/2017/12/13/statue-of-liberty-replica-will-find-a-new-home

Edited August 26, 2022 by RememberSchiff
Topic name change

[WRW_57 24]

The program was called "Strengthen the Arm of Liberty" program and kicked off in 1949. I believe it was in response to a growing Cold War threat.

 You can find brass neckerchief slides on eBay with the Statue of Liberty and the same tagline, Strengthen the Arm of Liberty.  The were available with the Cub and BS logos. Wikipedia and Facebook have pages dedicate to the statues.  1949 newspaper clippings from my father's council-wide ECOH told off a huge and impressive presentation for this program, as part this big event.*

The scouts were a logical vehicle for such a patriotic campaign with their history civil defense preparation, war bond sales, and positive public image.

*1700 in attendance

Edited December 26, 2017 by WRW_57

[RememberSchiff 3261]

Original Boy Scouts troop from 1950s helps restore La Crosse statue

Good story and a job well done.

https://hayspost.com/posts/957734f4-8ab8-452c-b1ed-840c6684a78c

Scout Salute.

[slocumscout 17]

Some information on the replica of Lady Liberty in Fall River, MA is here:

https://www.cachalotalumni.org/cachaletter/2020/fall.pdf

[RememberSchiff 3261]

30 minutes ago, slocumscout said:

Some information on the replica of Lady Liberty in Fall River, MA is here:

https://www.cachalotalumni.org/cachaletter/2020/fall.pdf

Thanks, great two page article which included

[MikeS72 377]

55 minutes ago, RememberSchiff said:

Thanks, great two page article which included

Enjoyed reading the article, as this was my original council (15 years after the statue was dedicated).