Scouting, Volume 18, Number 6, June 1930 Page: 160
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This collection of minerals in the Bear Mountain
Trailside Museum is ttirge enough for all popular
uses in camp.
IN a Boy Scout Camp, not far from New York City, a small
museum was established in 1919. The camp director, em-
ployed by a Local Council, and the reigning Scout Executive,
at first looked rather unfavorably upon the project, for it seemed
to have an unimportant place in the general camp program. 1
can well remember when the camp leader, who, by the way, is
now an Executive himself, said:
"Take these confounded snakes out of here, will you? This
isn't a zoo, it's a camp!"
No doubt he had excellent reasons for issuing the preemptory
and explosive command. The offending snakes, several mice, and
a strange assortment of rocks, birds' nests and mounted insects
were occupying a prominent place in his cabin. When he had
given initial permission to the enthusiastic councilor, he had not
pictured the rapid transformation that soon converted his living
quarters into a menagerie as well as a museum.
The disappointed councilor slept in a 9'x9' tent, some distance
from his director's cabin. Sufficient work other than tending the
collections was allotted to him. Nevertheless, he pushed his cot
to one side of the tent platform, built some rough tables, and,
shortly, the ejected "specimens" were all under canvas. There
was scarcely enough room for him to dress and undress, but
that worried him not at all. The important fact was that his
volunteer work could go on without further interruption.
The little white tent became a very popular spot, and its collec-
tions grew as the summer passed, until at length, several out-of-
door shelters were necessary to provide sufficient exhibition
space. Every Scout hike, into the neighboring woods, resulted
in additions to the exhibits. Boys provided with a definite place
to care for their "finds" were only too anxious to help. They
searched the trails for interesting objects and grew to appreciate
a central clearing house that enabled them not only to store, but
c&he MUSEUM
By William H. Garr
Assistant Curator, Department of Education, American
Museum of Natural History
to study as well. The councilor possessed a few, well-worn
nature books, that were always available to interested campers.
Preparation for the different nature Merit Badges and Scout
Requirements went on apace as a direct result of interest shown
in the collections.
A S this little article is being written eleven years after that
happy experiment, there is a real satisfaction in knowing that
this particular Scout Council, as well as many others throughout
the country, now maintain camp "museums" as a regular part
of their activities. Nature councilors are employed, and it is
increasingly evident that camp directors, who once frowned upon
snakes and kindred though widely separated forms of "museum-
zoo" materials, are now encouraging them. More and more is
Nature Study coming into its own.
Many were the mistakes made in that 9'x9' tent! Indis-
criminate collecting was, of course, discouraged. However, the
exhibits were far too numerous. A more careful selection of
objects both animate and inanimate, with definite teaching
methods in mind, was greatly to be desired. Rapid strides in
the way of outdoor museum technic have been made in the past
few years. Thanks to past experience, we may now separate the
wheat from the chaff as we present nature lore in a valuable
manner in camp. We_ realize that ideas of presentation come
first and collections decidedly second. It is the old story of "not
what you have, but how you use it," of "exposition" rather than
"exhibition."
A Mineral Exhibit showing sample labels telling much more
than "mere names"
Page 160
A LMOST any type of cabin, shack or tent may be utilized in
the building of a camp museum. In view of the fact that
the only reason for such an institution is to provide space for
certain animals, and to concentrate collections of rocks and
minerals and other similar exhibits where rain will not penetrate
and where the wind will be prevented from redistributing the
assembled materials, any simple shelter is adequate. I have seen
excellent collections housed in mess halls, log lean-to, slab
buildings, old army tents and in open pavilions.
I might say at the outset, that the results of the actual museum
work will depend largely upon the abilities of the nature coun-
cilor, leader or "museum director," particularly upon his spirit
and gift of arousing enthusiasm in others. Of course his knowl-
edge should be fair, but his alertness should be fairer! Perhaps
his outstanding asset should be his willingness to work, and work
hard many hours a day; and to enjoy to the full his contacts
both with nature and with his followers. His duties as a nature
guide will be exacting enough. He should not be expected to do
much else. If more time, effort, yes, and money were spent upon
the proper kinds of leaders, the camp would benefit thereby. The
development of leadership is of prime importance in this under-
taking. The nature councilor should have several boy satellites
who would some day take his place.
In arranging the camp museum, the first questions that usually
arise, once housing facilities have been provided, are "What shall
we collect?" and "What types of collections will be useful?",
and "How shall we use them to best advantage?" In answering
these questions a very great deal will naturally depend upon the
type of country in which the camp is located. Regardless of
this, however, it may be generally said that desirable "working
collections" are divided into five parts:
1—Living plants or animals.
2—Rocks, minerals, soils, etc.
3—Mounted or prepared animals or plants.
4—Photographs, pictures, charts, models, etc.
5—By-products such as plaster casts or tracks and leaves.
I have placed the most important group first, living plants and
animals. In a previous article, in this magazine, (May, 1930),
I spoke briefly of live animals on Nature Trails, mentioning the
fact that life, in almost any form, is more attractive to youthful
campers than numbers of lifeless things. Perhaps there could be
no more desirable an acquisition to any camp museum than a
few cages of snakes, salamanders or toads and frogs, carefully
watched over by interested campers. Just one frog, for instance,
may have considerable importance. The frog, however, will not
be of much use unless its presence is intelligently accounted for;
unless sufficient explanation or interpretation is given as te its
life history and its habits. There is so much to tell!
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 18, Number 6, June 1930, periodical, June 1930; New York, New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth310833/m1/16/: accessed May 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.