Scouting, Volume 3, Number 2, May 15, 1915 Page: 1

Special Summer Camp Number
SCOUTING
Published semi-monthly by National Headquarters, Boy Scouts of America
For Scout Officials and Others Interested In Work for Boys
Vol. III.
NEW YORK, N. Y., MAY 15,1915.
No. 2
FIELD MAN ENGAGED FOR PRACTICAL HINTS FOR SCOUT MASTERS
MIDDLE WEST DISTRICT
ON IMPORTANT CAMPING PROBLEMS
Employment of Judson P. Freeman Made
Possible by Local Council
Contributions.
ANOTHER important step in the de-
velopment of the Field District plan
of organization has been taken by the
appointment of Mr. Judson P. Freeman as
Field Secretary, to have charge of the de-
velopment of the Boy Scout Movement in
the Middle West district. This district in-
cludes the following states, Ohio, Michigan,
Indiana, Illinois and Wisc nsin. This is the
second Field District to be supplied with a
secretary, Mr. H. D. Cross having been ap-
pointed secretary for the Pacific Coast dis-
trict last January. Mr. Freeman will begin
his work on the first of June.
It will be remembered that the district
plan of organization was approved by the
National Council at the annual meeting in
1914. The plan, as outlined at that time,
calls for the formation of eight field dis-
tricts, in each of which, eventually, it is
hoped that a secretary will be employed.
Funds Secured Last December.
The Funds for a Field Secretary in the
Middle West district were pledged last
December, when National Field Scout Com-
missioners S. A. Moffat and L. S. Dale
made a trip through the district enlisting
the support of local councils and influential
men in the cities where scout work had been
best developed. As a result of this trip,
pledges were received from local councils
totalling $5,000. The contributions were as
follows: Chicago, $2,000; Cleveland, $1,000;
Detroit, $1,000; Toledo, $500; Grand
Rapids, $250; Dayton, $250.
Ever since that time National Head-
quarters has been making an effort to find
the man best fitted for the position of
secretary of the district. In order that the
very best man available might be obtained,
it was decided that no appointment would
be made until Headquarters was satisfied
that the right man for the place had been
found. In the appointment of Mr. Free-
man, National Headquarters believes that
it would be difficult to find a man better
suited for the work.
Mr. Freeman's Training.
In order to accept the position of secre-
tary for the Middle West district, Mr.
Freeman resigned his position as General
Secretary of the Y. M. C. A. in Stamford,
Conn., where he has been since 1911. In
his Y. M. C. A. work in Stamford, Mr.
Freeman has met with remarkable success.
Mr. Freeman is a graduate of the Y. M.
C. A. Training College at Springfield,
Mass., and most of his experience has
been along the lines of Y. M. C. A. work.
For three years he was director of social
work in the Brooklyn Y. M. C. A., follow-
Helpful Suggestions Prepared Especially for Small
Troop Encampments.
Mr. Judson P. Freeman.
ing which, for six years, he was employed
as a salesman and general field agent by
Underwood and Underwood Company of
New York City. He has also had ex-
tensive experience in boys' Bible classes,
and has served on various committees of
civic and philanthropic enterprises.
Mr. Freeman will make his headquarters
in Chicago, and his temporary address will
be that of the local Chicago office, 39 La
Salle Street. His general plan will be to
go into one community and organize the
work thoroughly, placing Scouting on a
firm foundation before taking up the
problems in some other place. He feels
that it would be unwise to attempt to
cover the whole district in a short time,
since in that way it would be difficult for
him to accomplish very much in any one
place. It is his hope that his work in each
community will be so thoroughly done that
there will be no necessity for his return-
ing for a considerable time.
Mr. Freeman has not had an opportunity
to plan his work very far in advance, so
it is impossible to announce, at the present
time, which citics he will visit first in the
interests of the Boy Scout Movement.
BY F. J. PATTEN
Assistant Editor of Scouting
FOR many Scoutmasters in the larger
scout centers, the summer camping
problem is solved by a general scout
camp maintained by the Local Council and
directed by men who have had many years
of experience in camp work. But for
thousands of Scoutmasters in the smaller
communities the advantages of a big, per-
manent camp are not available. In many
of the larger centers also, as was indicated
by the article in the last issue of Scouting,
which told of the summer plans of the
Brooklyn Council, there is a tendency away
from the large centralized camps in favor
of individual troop camps.
There is no intention in this article to
discuss the merits of either the centralized
or the troop camp system, as this is a prob-
lem that depends very largely 011 local con-
ditions, but it is the intention of the writer
to offer some suggestions which may prove
to be helpful to the many Scoutmasters who
expect to take their scouts into small troop
camps this season.
Equipment
The first thing to consider is equipment.
Of course this will very according to the
size of the troop, and in different sections
of the country according to the climate and
the district in which the camp is to be
located. In order to establish some stand-
ard, however, we will take as an average a
troop of twenty-four scouts and assume
that camp is to be pitched in a wooded
place within easy reach of a base of sup-
plies.
The most important item of equipment
is the tents. The experience of a great
many successful Scoutmasters has been that
the best results can be obtained by securing
tents large enough to accommodate a full
patrol. This means that in a troop of stand-
ard size there should be three tents for
scouts. It will be necessary, also, to have,
some protection for the camp kitchen and
for the dining table. Usually this is pro-
vided in the form of flies. In a great many
cases Scoutmasters will find it unnecessary
to buy tents, as there will be people in their
communities who will be glad to loan tents
to the scouts for their summer outing.
When it is necessary to buy tents, however,
Scoutmasters will find that it will be eco-
nomical in the long run to purchase the best
grade. Most Scoutmasters prefer to have
a separate tent for their own use.
Other equipment will depend to a great