Smyrna times., 1959-01-01
Scout Executive
Requests Program
Serve More Boys

/ America faces a large increase
in the number of boys eight tc
sixteen years of age during the
next five years, says DR.. Arthur
A. Schuck, Chief Scout EXecu-
tive of the Boy Scouts of Amer
lea.
In a message to the nations
536 local Boy Scout Councils on
the 49th anniversary of the or
tganization to be observed during
Boy Scout Week, Feb. 7 to l3,
DR.. Schuck called for sound plan
ming "predicated on an under
standing and knowledge of the
current situation as well as past
growth and development.
He said that today there are
i3,617,OOO boy members in the
organization or 24.6 per cent OF
the l4,722,000 boys between the
ages of eight and sixteen.
In order to maintain the same
ratio at the end of 1868, when
there will be l6,963,000 boys of
those ages, there should be A.
$4,000 Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts,
and Explorers, DR.. Schuck said.
To reach one-third would mean
5, ,648, 900 boy members.
Attracts One of Three
The Cub Scout program for
boys eight, nine, and ten years
old is now reaching one of every
three boys of those ages. Boy
Scouting for ages from eleven
through seventeen attracts one
in every four of those ages
while Exploring for those four
teen years old, and in the ninth
grade and through seventeen
reaches one of every nine.
| Current total membership is
above 4,78O,0O0 boys and lead
ers. Since 1910, he added, more
than 29,50O,000 persons have
been in the Boy Scouts of Amer
ica. Locally, the Del-Mar-Va
Council had at the end of 1858
6,805 Cub Scouts in 2l4 Cub
packs; 6,895 Boy Scouts in 292
troops, and 1920 Explorers in
LOG Explorer units.
"We must strive to make
Scouting available to every boy
in America" DR.. Schuck wrote
Looking ahead for the next
five years." says the Chief Scout
Executive, 1--WE must recognize
that never has it been so import
ant or imperative that the youth
of our nation be trained to high
idealism, acquired through un.
selfish service, by self-reliance,
and cooperative effort.
They must understand and
practice the basic principles or
which our nation was founded
and recognize that security is
the fruit of freedom and that
without freedom, there can be nc
security"
Ideals Are Same
DR.. Schuck entered Scouting
as a volunteer leader in 1913 anc
has been a professional leader
since 1917. Scouting's ideals anc
objectives have remained con
slant since 1910 he said, "while
the program, organization meth
ods, and operating techniques
have changed as the result o1
study and understanding o1
changing conditions and as ne
cessary to meet the needs of
rapidly growing organization"
He said the greatest influence
in Scouting's growth has beer
the dedicated service of laymer
willing to invest their time, theil
energy, and their money in thu
interest of training youth to d.
their duty to God and country
and to preserve and strengthen
our heritage and to develop
nation so that it may be spirit
ually, dynamically, and mental.
strong and morally straight
The Del-Mar-Va Council ha
$500 men serving as unit lead
ers and in other capacities.
Calling camping the heart o
the Scouting program, the Chic
Scout Executive points out tina
current and anticipated growtl
would require additional CAM
sites and facilities. He warne'
that good camp sites are gettinl
scarcer. Last year $500 differen
boys had camping experience
at Camp Rodey on the Chesa
peake Bay at North East, Md.