Figure 1.--Here Boy Scouts with Troop No. 10 in Cleveland Missssippi are working with the Red Cross to do relief work to assist the vcictims of the Dust Bowl in 1930. We suspect they are planning a fund reaing effort or an effort to collect clothes and food. Photographer: Lewis Wickes Hine.

There also have been special activities such as in time of national emergency. The American Boy Scouts were founded in 1910. Thus they were a very new group at the time of the War. The idea of youth grouops was also quite new and the program just begining to evolve. In fact one of the issues the young organization faced were complaints from pacifists that it was too militaristic and from the more patriotic that it was not sufficently militaristic. The competing American Boy Scouts took a more militaristic approach with a strong emphasis on rivalry. Thus there was no set program for how to support the war effort. We note Scours involved in a range of efforts. The BSA after the entry of America in World War I, begins home-front service in 1917 with the "Help win the war". The Scout motto, "Be prepared" was put into action. The Scouts persued many home-front activities. This included agricultural labor and vegetable gardens to hrelp produce food. Scouts planted "war gardens" with the logan, "Every Scout to feed a soldier". We notice the Scouts during the 1910s-30s assistung in various natural disasters like floods and drought including the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. They often worked with the Red Cross. We have some information on Scouting during World War II. World War II broke out in Europe during September 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. America entered in 1941 after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The NAZIs had abolished the Scout movement in Germany and Austria, absorbing it within the Hitler Youth movement. As the Whermacht invaded and occupied country after country, the Scout movement was banned or restricted in these countries. At home the Hitler Youth movement engaged in a variety of support activities, but as the war began to go aginst German they were used in Civil defense and to man anti-aircraft guns. Eventually whole units were formed with older Hitler Youth boys. In addition, Hitler Youth boys were used in the home guard, the Volkstrum, in hopeless to defend German cities. Many German boys, many very young, in these pointless actions. Scouts in occupied countries often supported or actively participate in the Resistance. Separated by the Atalntic Ocean from the Germans, World War II never touched America in the same way as the Europeans. 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.

World War I

The American Boy Scouts were founded in 1910. Thus they were a very new group at the time of the War. The idea of youth grouops was also quite new and the program just begining to evolve. In fact one of the issues the young organization faced were complaints from pacifists that it was too militaristic and from the more patriotic that it was not sufficently militaristic. The competing American Boy Scouts took a more militaristic approach with a strong emphasis on rivalry. Thus there was no set program for how to support the war effort. We note Scours involved in a range of efforts. The BSA after the entry of America in World War I, begins home-front service in 1917 with the "Help win the war". The Scout motto, "Be prepared" was put into action. The Scouts persued many home-front activities. This included agricultural labor and vegetable gardens to hrelp produce food. Scouts planted "war gardens" with the logan, "Every Scout to feed a soldier".

Natural Disasters

We notice the Scouts during the 1910s-30s assistung in various natural disasters like floods and drought including the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. They often worked with the Red Cross.

World War II

We have some information on Scouting during World War II. World War II broke out in Europe during September 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. America entered in 1941 after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The NAZIs had abolished the Scout movement in Germany and Austria, absorbing it within the Hitler Youth movement. As the Whermacht invaded and occupied country after country, the Scout movement was banned or restricted in these countries. At home the Hitler Youth movement engaged in a variety of support activities, but as the war began to go aginst German they were used in Civil defense and to man anti-aircraft guns. Eventually whole units were formed with older Hitler Youth boys. In addition, Hitler Youth boys were used in the home guard, the Volkstrum, in hopeless to defend German cities. Many German boys, many very young, in these pointless actions. Scouts in occupied countries often supported or actively participate in the Resistance. Separated by the Atalntic Ocean from the Germans, World War II never touched America in the same way as the Europeans. 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.