Scouting, Volume 54, Number 6, June-July 1966 Page: 28
40 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
—"~~ —~~
~ I . Mm rfil a. ^
A former Scout, William Hazell, now president of the Watchung Area Council, con-
gratulates his 100-year-old Scoutmaster S. Edgar Cole. coronet photos
By WALTER MacPEEK SCOUTING magazine field reporter
3 w
/ GATHER
JWcrru
Young
3oul
Is
l*C
hen friends and neighbors
gathered in Plainfield, N.J., last
March 16, to help S. Edgar Cole cele-
brate his 100th birthday, they sang
"For He's a Jolly Good Fellow." He is
jolly—but he is not the type that
calls for pipes or bowls or fiddlers.
The festive assembly might well have
sung the "Scout Vesper" hvmn printed
in the inside front cover of this issue
of Scouting magazine. The hymn was
written half a century ago by the man
they came to honor. It has become a
classic in the Scout world since Ed
Cole wrote it and has been sung by
successive generations of Scouts around
the campfire.
In 1918, Ed Cole moved from his
native New Jersey to Omaha, Nebr.
Soon Walter W. Head, president of the
Omaha National Bank and later Presi-
ident of the Boy Scouts of America for
15 years, persuaded Cole to become
Scoutmaster of Troop 4 composed of
boys who had the reputation of being
young roughnecks.
An older boy named Henry was of
great help to Scoutmaster Cole in
managing his next troop—Troop 42.
Later former Scout Henry Fonda be-
gan his long and distinguished acting
career.
Back in New Jersey again, Ed
promptly became Scoutmaster of Troop
5. By now an enthusiastic Scouter, Ed
Cole devoted his time and energy to
the Plainfield Boy Scout council, serv-
ing as council commissioner. He was
influential in expanding the Plainfield
Council into the Watchung Area Coun-
cil, established in 1927 with Cole as the
council commissioner. Through the
years he has been a merit badge coun-
selor in many subjects and a strong
supporter of Scouting at all levels.
Cole interested himself in other com-
munity and civic projects. A charter
member of the Omaha Kiwanis Club,
he soon founded the Plainfield Kiwan-
is Club of 50 members. Cole served as
club president, lieutenant governor, and
district governor of Kiwanis Interna-
tional.
I asked Ed Cole, "Is it harder for a
boy to build a place for himself in to-
day's world?"
"A boy can make his way today if
he has a lot more understanding, if he
will care more and work harder than
the next fellow. The world is going too
fast today but, of course, our boys are
equal to it," he replied.
In a hundred years Cole has rubbed
shoulders with many colorful figures.
Among these were William Jennings
Bryan, Congressman William McKin-
ley. Col. Theodore Roosevelt, Prince-
ton President Wood row Wilson, Assist-
ant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D.
Roosevelt. William Howard Taft, War-
ren G. Harding, Herbert Hoover, and
other leaders. He knew Baden-Powell,
James E. West, and Dan Beard person-
ally.
He cast his first vote in 1888 and
since then he has voted in every pri-
mary and regular election for 78 years.
Ed Cole has never been one to beat
around the bush or to try to straddle a
fence. The hometown paper, the Plain-
field Courier News, printed an editorial
on his 100th birthday. The editor
wrote:
"If things don't go to suit him at the
dinner tonight, he'll say so and he'll
straighten 'em out in a hurry. He's
never been one to hesitate to sneak his
mind. We admire him for it and we're
glad to know this likable, capable, out-
spoken individual."
One of his closest friends had a final
comment, "He has already lived a long
and useful life and he hasn't stopped
yet." n
28
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 54, Number 6, June-July 1966, periodical, June 1966; New Brunswick, New Jersey. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth331772/m1/30/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.