Scouting, Volume 6, Number 14, July 15, 1918 Page: 3
This periodical is part of the collection entitled: Scouting Magazine and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.
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1,200,000 W. S. S. Cards Received at National Headquarters 1
Where Are the Other 11,800,000?
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IN the War Work Department at National Headquarters long
rows of double-decked tables are filled with file boxes con-
taining red postcards which have come in from post offices
all over the country. Through Wednesday, July 10th, 1,196,-
825 cards have been received and filled.
Each filing box tells its own story. It tells the. story of the
scout who does, things as well as the story of the scout who does
nothing. To enlarge the picture it becomes the story of the troop
with leadership that accomplishes, alongside which is the story
of the troop that so far as the records at National Headquarters
show has done nothing in the red postcard campaign, whether
from lack of leadership or because of indifference, we cannot
say. But the story is here and our artist has pictured it so that
all" who run may read.
How the Story Is Told
As the red postcards are received they are assorted by States
and distributed to the file clerks, who work in sections. The file
clerks assort them again into cities and towns and then accord-
ing to troop number for each separate locality. The cards for
each scout are filed alphabetically under his troop number. As
fast as a boy has qualified for an achievement button, which is
the first award, based upon-orders from twenty-five different in-
dividuals, a white card is put into the file under the boy's name,
the result of his work is recorded on the white card, and the red
cards a-re then destroyed.
Over the Top to the Palm Forest
The red cards and the white cards together tell the story of
action and achievement. Whenever a red postcard is received by
us from the post office department bearing the name of a scout,
it proclaims that this scout has done something to help his coun-
try. He may have a dozen or a hundred red cards to his credit,
which with the amounts added together may make a sum in excess
of the amount necessary to qualify him for an Ace medal. Not-
withstanding this he may not yet have qualified for the achieve-
ment button because he has not twenty-five different signatures.
These cards proclaim work, however, which sooner or later will
merit the coveted reward if the boy is persistent as so many
scouts are. The white cards proclaim that the goal has been
reached, that the scout has gone "over the top" of the first trench,
and mayhap has gone "over the top" of the second and third
trench. " In some cases the scouts have gone so far "over the top"
that their entire uniforms
will be covered wi t h
palms.
Asleep in the Dugout
of Delay
Alongside this story of
action is another that
tells a sad, sad tale that
may or may not be due
to a lack of patriotism
and zeal. Scattered
throughout the filing
boxes here and there are
dog-eared labels of a
cream color indicating
localities in which there
are registered scout
troops with not a single
red card to their credit.
Glancing at these evi-
dences of inactivity, a
large question mark im-
mediately rears itself in
front of us and we ask
ourselves why here, there
and elsewhere little or
nothing is being done to
help Uncle Sam in sell-
ing Thrift and War Sav-
ing Stamps. We wonder
why it is that in many
localities so much is be-
ing done and in others so
little.
It was intended by the
palm
ace'medal
'/\ce me pal
lMHlEV£M£HT
ace
I PALM
DO-ERS
One Southern City has 15 troops with 59
palms, 15 ace medals, $10,301 in W. S. S.
sales.
The Canal Zone has 111 palms, 12 ace medals,
$14,282.50 in sales.
One Scout in a small New England town has
13 palms and has sold $1,592.25 in War
Savings Stamps.
A small town Nebraska Scout ha-s earned an
ace medal and 105 palms.
These figures, taken at random from' the files,
could be multiplied indefinitely.
Government and by the National Council to muster every troop
and every scout in the service to sell Thrift and War Savings
Stamps for Uncle Sam.
Already six and one-half months of the campaign have passed
and less than one and one-half million cards have been used
of the 13,000,000 already printed. This indicates that more than
one-half of the time has elapsed while only about one-eleventh
of the cards have been consumed.
Who Is Helping the Kaiser?
While the results shown from the cards already filed are ex-
tremely gratifying and indicate that more than $12,700,000 worth
of stamps have been sold through scouts and that in many locali-
ties scouts are working with vigor and determination, there is
nevertheless something wrong somewhere, and it is up to the
scout executives, scout commissioners and scoutmasters to ascer-
tain where the trouble is and to overcome it.
There is a lack of leadership and a lack of response to the
request of our Government for service that is contrary to the
scout motto and the scout oath and law.
What Part Does the Scoutmaster Play?
The scoutmaster should consider himself a part of the great
general scheme and bear in mind that in order to raise the amount
asked for the Government his quota must equal twenty dollars
each for every man, woman and child in his community.
Of course, it may be impossible for some man, woman or child
to purchase as much as twenty dollars worth of Thrift and War
Savings Stamps. On the other hand, however, many of your
citizens can subscribe to the limit of $1,000.
Remember, also, that the duty of the scoutmaster in this war
is an important and imperative one. Indeed, his is a double duty
—the duty he owes to his Government and also the duty he owes
to the members of his troop.
The boys require* strong leadership in order to bring out the
best there is in them. It is up to the scoutmaster to give this
leadership, and where can leadership better be given than in the
War Savings Stamps campaign? There never was so great an
opportunity to teach the boys to be economical, thrifty, helpful and
patriotic.
Use Newspaper Publicity
The scoutmaster with the aid and assistance1 of his scouts
should create a local
public interest. About
the best means of stim-
ulating such interest is
to secure local news-
paper publicity of the
result of scout efforts
by leading scouts, using
their photographs an*d
short sketches as to
their achievements and
how they were success-
ful in selling War Sav-
ings Stamps. This will
immediately produce
greater interest on the
part of the other boys
in rendering similar pa-
triotic service.
Ace Medals
In your publicity use
a picture of the Ace
medal. Matrices of the
ACe medals at 15c. and
electros at 54c. can be
secured promptly from
National Headquarters..
Ace medals are being
distributed. It is recom-
mended that the presen-
tation of these medals
be the subject of public
ceremony with a view
of stimulating interest.
alphabetical
© O
SLACKER
DON'T-ERS
slacker troops, with no sales.
In the same state there qfe nine troops which
have reported no sales.
In the same state 16 troops are yet to be heard
from.
Selling W. S. S. Helps America. Failure to Sell Helps Germany. Which Are You Helping?
July 15, 1918 3
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 6, Number 14, July 15, 1918, periodical, July 15, 1918; New York, New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth282957/m1/3/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.