Figure 1.-- Here Scouts participating in the World's Fair are taking time of to check oit the General Electric exhibit. The caption read, "Boy Scouts examineing G-E magnetic levitation machine lifting 6 hats in G-E 'House of Magic at the New Yoyrk World's Fair 1939." You can see the boys' hats being levitated. Yoiu can see the special World's Fair patch awarded to the service units. Source: GE photo No. 571825.

The New York World's Fair opened during 1939 and continued into 1940. Boy Scouts assisted with the Fair in a variety of ways. A Service Camp was set up for the Scouts assisting at the Fair which was called the Service Camp. A Fair Guidebook sescribes the Camp. "At the North end of the Fair grounds, adjacent to the Federal Building, the camp comprises 83,096 square feet of space and is arranged to accommodate four troops, each with 33 Scouts and three Scout Leaders. According to a prearranged program, one third of the Scouts are sight-seeing, one third are on duty at the camp, and one third are related to the World's Fair management on scout service, such as aides and guards of honor for distinguished guests, assistants at various public ceremonies, and special orderlies to fair officials." The Scout uniform at the time except at camps included knickers or more accurately breeches. The Scouts at the World's Fair wore short pnts, the more common Scout iniform arojund the world. A session of the 29th annual meeting was held at the New York World's Fair for a citizenship ceremony when a group of former Scouts who had just turned 21 were formally received into citizenship by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Owen J. Roberts. A special patch was issued for the participating Scouts. We note both Boy Scouts and Sea Scouts participating. On Scout Day, attendees were addressed by Dan Beard (Uncle Dan) who play an important role in founding the american Scouting mobvement. A honor guard of Scouts escorted him. A session of the 29th BSA annual meeting was held at the Fair for a special citizenship ceremony. A group of former Scouts who had just become 21 years old were formally received into citizenship by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Owen J. Roberts.