The World and Scouting: 1910-1919
1910
Boy Scouting Established in America: A number of individuals form Boy Scout organizations with the intention of making them national in scope. Two well-known examples are the United States Boy Scouts and the National Boy Scouts. A newspaper man from Chicago, W.D. Boyce, incorporates a group called the Boy Scouts of America in the District of Columbia. Boyce had learned about the Boy Scouts while on a trip to England in 1909. The first official, but temporary, headquarters of the Boy Scouts of America is set up at the YMCA office in New York City. In September, Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts in Britain in 1907, gives his endorsement to the Boy Scouts of America at a dinner held in his honor at the Waldorf-Astoria. President William Howard Taft and Former President Theodore Roosevelt accept the positions of honorary president and vice-president, respectively. The first camp of the Boy Scouts of America is held at Silver Bay, Lake George, New York. The original handbook, Scouting for Boys, as well as six introductory pamphlets are hastily printed to get the movement up and running.
1911
THE WORLD:The Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire kills 146 women, the worst factory fire in the history of New York City. Aircraft are used as offensive weapons for the first time in the Turkish-Italian War. Chinese revolutionaries overthrow the Manchu dynasty, establishing a Chinese Republic with Sun Yat-sen as the first president. Amundsen reaches the South Pole. Rutherford discovers the structure of the atom. SCOUTING:The Boy Scouts of America establish more permanent headquarters in the Fifth Avenue Building in New York City, staffed by only seven people. The first award for Heroism is presented by the National Court of Honor. The "Handbook for Boys" replaces the previous "Scouting for Boys" as the official handbook. Daniel Carter Beard, one of the founders of the movement and a noted illustrator, adds an American eagle to the Boy Scout badge in order to make the fleur de lis more distinctive and American. Total membership has been estimated at 61,495.
1912
THE WORLD: Massachusetts becomes the first state to adopt a minimum wage law. The “unsinkable” Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage, 1,500 people drown. The Children’s Bureau is established within the Department of Labor to regulate child labor. New Mexico and Arizona become states. SCOUTING: By their second year, the Boy Scouts of America had spread to every state. The first National Good Turn was performed - A Safe and Sane Fourth of July. Arthur Eldred becomes the very first Eagle Scout. Boys' Life – started by a boy named Joseph Lane who was a member of a competing organization called the Rhode Island Boy Scouts – is purchased, and the first official issue appears that summer. Membership during the year is 97,495.
1913
THE WORLD: Woodrow Wilson becomes the 28th President. The Federal Reserve System is created. Henry Ford develops the first moving assembly line. The 16th Amendment (income tax) and 17th (popular election of US Senators) adopted. The Armory Show introduces modern art to the US. SCOUTING: The Boy Scouts of America issues its first council charters, and divides the country into districts. The magazine "Scouting" is established, and the first Handbook for Scoutmasters is published. The Boy Scouts receive national media attention for their service work, most importantly their help with the Ohio and Indiana floods and a veteran's reunion commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg (where a Boy Scout has the honor of reading Lincoln's Address). Membership during the year is 115,364.
1914
THE WORLD: The assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria, ignites World War I. The U.S. declares itself neutral in the war. The first traffic lights in America are installed. The Federal Trade Commission is created. The Panama Canal opens.
The first William T. Hornaday gold medal for wildlife conservation is presented. Membership during the year is 127,685.
1915
THE WORLD: The Supreme Court declares grandfather clauses unconstitutional. German submarines sink the Lusitania, killing American passengers and pushing America towards entering the war. Einstein publishes his General Theory of Relativity. SCOUTING: The first merit badge pamphlets are published. The Order of the Arrow is founded near Philadelphia. Membership during the year is 182,303.
1916
THE WORLD: Woodrow Wilson reelected president with “he kept us out of war” slogan. The U.S. purchases the Virgin Islands from Denmark. Explosion at munitions dock in New Jersey causes $40,000,000 in damages, traced to German saboteurs. Jeannette Rankin becomes the first woman elected to Congress. SCOUTING: Congress grants the Boy Scouts of America a Federal Charter on June 15, giving them rights to the name and the insignia. This enables the Boy Scouts to pressure many competing organizations into disbanding or merging, and also helps them limit the activities of independent companies trying to profit by selling "Boy Scout" products with the name and insignia (many of which are on display in the galleries). Membership during the year is 245,183.
1917
THE WORLD: Germans begin unrestricted submarine warfare. The U.S. enters World War I. Puerto Ricans granted US citizenship. Revolutionaries in Russian overthrow the Czar and Lenin and Trotsky seize power. Freud publishes his Introduction to Psychoanalysis. SCOUTING:
America enters World War I, and the Boy Scouts of America pledge themselves to service. Boy Scouts begin by planting war gardens under the slogan "Every Scout to Feed a Soldier" to help produce food in that time of great need. Boy Scouts are extremely helpful raising funds for the Government by selling millions of dollars worth of Liberty Loan Bonds. Membership during the year is 363,837.
1918
THE WORLD: Germany surrenders. Influenza pandemic kills 20 million people.
SCOUTING: Boy Scouts sell War Savings Stamps to help raise additional money for the government, and sell even more Liberty Loan Bonds in two campaigns. Membership during the year is 418,984.
1919
THE WORLD: Treaty of Versailles officially ends World War I. Race riot occurs in Chicago. The 18th Amendment (prohibition) adopted. Gandhi begins his nonviolent resistence movement against British rule in India.
SCOUTING:
In recognition of their service during the war, President Woodrow Wilson declares the first National Boy Scout Week. Membership during the year is 462,060.
