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Boy Scouts of America
In the 1930s
I have had the idea of looking into the costs and popularity of the Boy Scouts during Steve and Bucky’s childhood, so when I found this very neat membership certificates, I finally had the push!
Brief Overview of the Boy Scouts in the 1930s
After a decade of growth in the 1920s, following the end of WWI and a related wave of patriotism, the Boy Scouts of America were a well established organization in American culture. While the Great Depression did slow growth, it still reached 1-million members by 1935.
For the most part, Scouts was attended by middle-class boys, and was a “virtual rite of passage” in the eyes of many. The 1930s saw a number of large-scape events and activities, including food and clothing drives for the needy initiated by President FDR, the Scout-O-Rama held in Madison Square Garden, NY, and the first National Jamboree in Washington, DC. They also played a large assisting role in the 1939 New York World’s fair, at Flushing Meadows. At the Fair, nearly 4,000 scouts acted as ushers, guides, and honor guards; and participants were issues special participation patches for the occasion.
Could Steve or Bucky have been Scouts?
So this is the real questions.
What I think it comes down to is a question of money. There is a reason most scouts came from middle-class families, and that is because there was a significant cost that came with membership. Between uniforms and equipment, not to mention time, the cost would easily be too great for some families. Below is a list of costs collected from the 1911 edition of the ‘Boy Scout Handbook’ by the Boy Scouts of America (and some newspaper ads):
Boy Scout Hat — $1.15 - $2.00
Boy Scout Summer Hat — 50c
Coat w/ Boy Scout Emblem — $1.35 - $1.60
Stockings — 30c (cotton) $1.25 (wool)
Axe Scabbard or Shield — 25c
Camp Knife, Fork and Spoon — 8c per doz.
Folding Drinking Cup — 10c
Pocket Knives — 50c - $1.00
Additional Optional Items
Hospital Corps Medical Pouch — $1.00
Telegraph Instruments — $1.30
Conservatively, to be a scout, the up-front cost would be around $15.90 for the uniform (only one of each item) and around $3.00 for the basic equipment. For reference, after inflation, it comes to around $300 and $50 today. This doesn’t account for multiples of uniform items, materials for handmade items like tents and flags, future costs, travel costs for events, and time spent not working. Beyond the items listed in the official manual, a local Brooklyn ad (and more) printed in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle suggested even more outdoors items. It was not an activity for families without disposable income, and as an ex-boy scout there is a certain want to have all the items to take part in activities.
In Steve’s case, it would be easy to see how these costs could make being a Boy Scout out of his reach, with a single mother. Depending on how you view Bucky’s family life, it may or may not be an option for him — I’d be interested to see scout Bucky with non-scout Steve.
Hope this was interesting to you as it was to me!
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