Figure 1.--These Georgia Cub Scouts are participating in a old tire campaign in 1942. Rubber was one of the mos scarce commodities during the War as the Japanese cut off supplies from southeast Asia. Most of these Cubs are wearing the knickers uniform.

Separated by the Atalntic Ocean from the Germans, World War II never touched America in the same way as theEuropeans. Boy Scouts in America were never involved in the combatent activities like the Hitler Youth in Germany. American boys did actively participate in a variety of useful activities. Pamphlets and posters, radio broadcasts, newspapers, and cinematic productions were all used to help the U.S. government get across its message to American civilians during World War II that every person could and should contribute to the war effort. One important message was to conserve materials that were needed by the military. Scrap drives, buying war stamps and bonds, knitting afghans and sox for the soldiers, and planting victory gardens, were some of the activities for adults and children alike that were encouraged by the government. Schools and children's groups, like Boy and Girl Scouts and Camp Fire Girls, were some of the most effective venues for these home front activities. American Cubs and Scouts participated iun several of these orograms to support the homefront war effort. The primary activity was collecting newspaper and materials needed for the war effort like scrap material and old tires to support America's vast industrial production effort which played such a major role in winning World War II. We have just begun to collect information on Scouting activities to support the War effort. I believe the Scouts were all involved in War Bond drives and in planting Victory Gardens.

Scrap Drives

The Government during World War II called upon Americans to salvage raw materials for the war effort. There were several of these drives. Often they were brief, highly publicized "drives." Quite a few different matrials were targeted. The most important was rubber.

Paper

The most important drives ocurred early in the War. The rubber drive was particularly important. There were many other drives , including paper drives. The Federal Goernment estimated early in the War that 20 million tons of paper would be needed fo the War. They thought that 7 million ttons could come from salvage drives. The paper collected at first hadn’t actually been needed. And quantities had been collected far exceeding what was needed. This began to change by 1943 when planners forcast increased needs in 1944. . yet been needed and couldn’t be used in the quantities collected. This varied regionally depending on the needs of local factories. Two factors affected the requirements for paper. The production of virgin pulpwood was declining, in large part because of labor shortages. In addition, military requirements were escalatng. Paper is not an item strongly associated with the military, but in fact the military used prodigeous quantities of papaper and papr products like cardboard boxes. The Federal War Production Board (WPB) estimated that 30,000 tons of paperboard were needed monthly just to pack artllery shells. Carons were needed for K-ration cartons, canned food, and a myriad list of other items. Special containers were made for items like blood plasma. A carload of blue print paper was needed to draw the plans for capital ships like battleships and carries. The army reported that more than 1 million paper milk cartons were used daily in its camps. The biggest problem in collecting newspapers was that the Government was attempting to reduce gasoline consumption through rationing. Thus collecting newspapers could increase consumption of a much more vital resource--petroleum. And becuse of the quanities involved, an emormous collecton effort was needed. Here schools, the Boy Scouts, and other groyps played major roles.

Scrap Metal

Scouts sponsored a variety of scrap metal drives including tin cans beginning in 1942.

Tire Collections

Until World War II rubber for tires and other products came from natural sources, primarily Malaya and nearby locations in Southeast Asia. This was still the case when the Japanese attacked Pear Harbor (December 1941), brining America into the War. Within a few months, the Japanese over ran Malaya, Indonesia, Burma, and the Philippine Islands. Modern war could not be conducted without rubber. This commodity thus became the most scarce and thus critical commodity in the Allied war effort. The United States launched a major program to maximize runner production in areas still under Allied control. The United States also launched a huge industrial effort to produce synthetic rubber. As a stop-gap measure old-tire drives were launched in the United stastes. Scouts were often involved in these efforts.

Cooking fat

There were also cooking fat collections that I believe the Scouts were involved in.

War Bonds

Scouts began campaign selling Defense Bonds and Stamps in 1941.

Victory Gardens

Merit Badges

The Boy Scouts promoted merit badges and acrivities that seemedcto have greater applicability to the war effort, like First Aid.

Information

Scouts also distributed posters and war information.

Civilian Defense

Scouts participated in various Civilian Defense programs.

Packages for Servicemen

Scouts collected books, musical instruments, and razors to send to the the troops overseas.

Local Volunteer Efforts

The War effort drew large number of people into the work force. This included large numbers of people that had not previously worked outside the home. This created labor shortages in many public institutions that had previously hired workers at low wage rates are relied ion volunteers. Scouts helped fll the labor shortages. Scouts were involved in a wide range of volunteer efforts. This was commonly done at the local rther than nationl level. We notice, for example, Boys working in hospitals.

Relief Efforts

Scouts also collected clothing for Europeans once countries were liberated. Many civilians were destitute because of the exploitive German occupation polocies and the damage resulting from the Allied bombing and fighting once landings took plave in Italy and France.

War Service Stripe

Scouts who made a particularly notable effort during the War wee awarded the War Service Stripe.

Model Airplanes

One popular activity was to build model airplanes for aircraft recognition. These early model airplane kits were made from balsa wood. It was several years after the War ended before the first model airplane kits were available.

Supporting Fellow Scouts

There wasn't much Americam Scouts could do to help fellow Scouts in the occupied countries during the War. After the Warm however, the Scouts organized drived to help Scouts in the occupied countries reestablish their programs.

National War Service Victory Certificate

There was a National War Service "Victory" Certificate. We do not yet know much about it, but it seems to be a certificate awarded to Scout groups that had made an important contribution to the War effort. We haven't been able to find much information about this award. We note Scouts at Fort Benning receiving one of these certificates in 1942.