The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-06-29

With schools closed millions of
 boys throughout the country are now roaming through our streets,
 enjoying in their own manner almost three months of freedom. In
 and around Waterbury the mothers of over l,20o boys will breathe free ..
 they'll know where their sons are and what they're doing. These mothers will know that their sons
 have been trained in the proper, safe way to enjoy their recreation out of doors,
 These 1900 young men are Boy scouts. .,.
 Today we present a word picture of the man who guides the destinies of the Boy Scouts not only in Wa terbury but also in all the sur. rounding towns aS far south as Bea- con Falls and as far up the valley as New Milford. ..
 He is David r. BabSon, Scout executive of the Mattatuck Council, Boy Scouts of America. The Scout executive directs the activities of the boys through the various Scout masters in charge of the troops. Upon the Scout executives should CTS rests the responsibility of guid- ing the youth of this part of the state along the paths of good citi- zenship and American manhood.
 Those of you who know MT. Bab- son and follow the activities of the Boy Scouts, know that here in Wa terbury we have very capable man. ..
 David is the only son born to Ella Bailey and Frederick Babson in the town of Rockport on Cape Anne in Massachusetts. His father died some years ago and his mother, who, until last year was actively engaged As Q public school teacher In Rockport, Is with him here in Waterbury.
 MT. Babson has three sisters. Mrs. Carol Rikert, whose husband Is 6 member of the faculty at Mount Herman School Mrs. P. Qriedcr who iS married to professor at the Uni- Vcrsity of Montana, and Mrs. Karl Berlin of Indiana Pennsylvania whose husband is an instructor In the Penn State teachers college.
 Mrs. Grieder has just had her first novel published it's titled, "Yankee Bodley's," and has received excellent reviews in the best of literary circles. ..
 Young David Babson started his education in the grade schools of his home town and continued into the high school. When he was but fifteen years old, before he could complete his high school ed- ucation, his father died and 1t was necessary for him to give up school. He took over his fathers mail order fish business and was able to support his mother and sisters from it's earn. irgs. After five years in business, he answered the call to colors at the time of the World War, enlist ing in Company c of the 9th MaSsa- chusetts infantry. His outfit was sent over seas with the 20th, or Yankee Division. He saw service for Uncle Sam for eighteen months on foreign soil and at one time was in the front lines for nine months
 Your biographer asked him to relate some of his war experiences, and like all ex-service men, he was very reluctant to do so. .. Although the war was no lark or good time for him, he considers himself ex- tremely fortunate in that he was able to return home without hav- ing been wounded or gassed.
 Shortly after he returned with Che famous Yankee Division in April, 1919, he went to Mount Herman School in order to complete the high school education which circum- stances had forced him to drop some years before. A year of illness while he was at school held him back Q great deal but in 1921 he was grad uated from Mount Herman and en- rolled in an academic course at Harvard.
 Let's leave our neighbor at Har- yard for time. and turn back the pages of his history for Q lew years.
 Tn 1912, he followed in the foot steps of a great many more or ms hoyhood companions and joined the Boy Scouts. He was a member of Troop 1 at Pigeon Cove. a section of his home town. Tn 1915 he had gone through the various ranks of scouting until he became assist ant Scout Master of that troop and held that post until the war.
 Soon after David Babson began hts studies at Harvard he became