Evening star., 1937-07-02
I TRADING POSTS
SERVING SCOUTS
Furnish Needed Supplies
and Serve as Places
of Meeting.


the iamboree camp serve q double
purpose-the Scouts buy needed sup-
plies. souvenirs and between-meel
snacks there, but most of all they use
the trading posts As recreational and
meeting centers.
There are II posts placed about the
camp, all OF which carry items Scout
might need or want during his stay
in Washington. 1t was the primary
purpose OF the Scout executives to
make the entire encampment SELF
sustaining, and they kept this in mind
when they made up the list Of supplies
to be placed on the shelves.
No Peddlers Permitted.
At each post Scout may purchase
souvenirs, post cards, flags. patrol en-
blems, uniforms, decorative pillows.
books, soft drinks, sandwiches, ice
cream, candy, writing tablets, camera
films and an unlimited host OF other
things The trading posts are the only
places where he may buy any OF these
items other than In the Washington
stores. as no hawkers or peddlers are
permitted on the iamboree grounds
A special act of Congress was nee
essary to give the Boy Scouts permis-
sion to set up the stores, as generally
no commercial sales are permitted on
Government park property.
In addition to serving ~ places
where Scouts may purchase needed
supplies each trading post has A sec
ton where they may leave their soiled
laundry, exposed Aims and get a shoe
shine, all necessary services in the
large city Of $4,000 boys The camp
authorities have made several Wash
ington firns agencies for these
services. feeling that they were more
experienced along those lines than any
temporary agency they might estab-
lish themselves.
Profits Go Into Fund.
Prices at the trading posts are the
same or even lower than they are in
Washington stores. Profits 20 into the
general jamboree fund. and II there
is any surplus at the end OF the en-
campment 1t will be distributed pro
rata among the Scouts who attended
the ismboree
Each post serves between l,20O and
$500 boys, and extreme care has been
taken to insure that all foodstufYs sold
there are Of the highest standards
Of purity and quality. They open at
o'clock in the morning-an hour
after bugle first rouses the Scouts
from their sleep-and they do not
close close until 10 pm. at which time
all boys are supposed to be in their
tents.
The main purpose OF the trading
posts is not to sell the BOYS souvenirs
and food and to clean their clothes
and develop their films, however.
They are recreational centers to which
they come when not busy with other
activities or when they feel lonely and
in need Of companionship. They are
decorated with colorful flags, banners
and bunting: they are brightly lighted
| and have about them all an air OF
cheerfulness and good fellowship.
Posts Justify Existence.
Especially in the evenings the boys
gather in the trading tents. where
they swap stories, play checkers and
write letters home on the many desks
and tables with which the posts are
equipped. Already they have more
than justified their existence by bring
ing the boys from their lonely tents
at nights into the brightly lighted,
cheerful atmosphere Of their fellow
Scouts. They were especially useful
early this week when rain was pour
ing down on the camp and isolatins
each little troop group.
The trading posts are run BY the
Scouts under Earle W. Beckman, in
charge Of the division OF commercial
sales. He IS from New York City.
where he Is 4 national oficer In the
Scout movement.
A pamphlet, THE Trading Post Red
Book" has been published and Issued
to each Scout in which Is listed all
the services available At the posts, III
cluding list OF charges for laundry
and film developing.