Corresoondence and Notee on the Early History of the Boy Secfctte of America, r HARSH MEfc' SPF SPRINGFIELD, MASS. CORRESPONDENCE AND NOTES ON THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA. Letters from E. M. Robinson, E. T. Seton, Baden-Powell, Dan Beard, etc. 5176 SETON INSTITUTE SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO PRESIDENT HONORARY PRESIDENT DEAN ERNEST THOMPSON SETON EDGAR L.. HEWETT 11)1 IA M SETON BOARD OF TRUSTEE, BXECunvr MRS. HAROLD L. B0TNTON 0IIEANNA HAMMERLY H. CLARK BROWN MRS. MARV IVANS HALL.OCK '..'arch 8, ] ARTHUR H. PFAPF ERNEST THOMPSON SETON MRS. JULIA M SETON MRS JOHN DFWITT VFIIIIH ... 1 \nson, Alden Street, ;field, ass. Yours of February 20 has reached me on my return home from a v< successful lecture tri . •^ever I go out here I am introduced as the fouler of : outs ite of . it, and my wor ' ori^everywhere except!: at 2 Park Avenue, New York, West had commissioned his as ' . Jjo^write the history of the Boy Scouts. Martin assembled his material^ ot from my copies of " Eaden-Powell 's letters 8 o out flatfooted and said there is no question that t damental idea of the Boy Scouts and all its valuable activities were supplied by Seton long before :• - oared in the field. West was furious; took the whole out of Martin's hands, and Lt all to W. D. rray, .. ) has always been hostile to me. Ls i3 my summary of the situation: There is not at present a satisfactory history of the American Boy Scouts. It must be written the near future. I am not the proper person to write Lt. over- , I have more valuable material about the or' , maybe, than lse. '..'Ill you write it? r startl." ts photostat letters from "aden-Powell. ;3t cannot possibly live two years longer. .. it recent to ster, Minnesota, to the famous "ayo Clinic, got little encourr it from the . :as chiefly a warning to prepare for finis . [ do not know who v/ill take West's place, but it will be one of three men, I am told, every one of them favorable to my views; that is, they want more of my thought and activities in their pro conspiracy is an af .-herein a man is tried, condemned and executed without him knowing that he had committed any sin, without being informed of what t . out being informed about th trial, out being given a chance to face his accusers, or to defend self. 7or . L1 .'-as conspiracy that forced me out of the Scoutcship. I do not to this day what I was accused of. ;-»«lusion to phasize the fact .11 Street took absolute control al 1 tha it imp] send' letter on to West, but will scribble off the last Sincexelicejcely yours j tf£*LAuStf-v»jUl~j?£-U~<, f^ <UJL^^ < J, __ . „ ,___ / ny- 7- y /?! «L/T. S ' i* : • . /f*% 4 A £-cV<. <!t~» >| *^ C «*>« ^WA^-S« «4f ^ *Sf >V<-C--6^v—^{, ^ ^r /A A^ /*-U>—c^A / Jt- nf /fo, 0-^ ,nrf* <*4~ 'far. /f^ -^/^ /i*4 • /^-^ / -o J*^ V^ r-y^rS •V^J^X'^'/f*-/ ^ *7 &r^C~.<7>»t4- •A. ,«- ^ 1 :^,y/-f^^- <U.U" * . - OJ^^ <?-»^- «2-^ **<4o ^ , v^-f T^4. -v^ $r /?£•<> t-p ^ 70 '••<?*? 7 /p6 •/. A P // * tf/o 2r-v S-f-*' /f/0 1^—04, J *—i 'Us^/6k 0 0 P I Blaokmore Park Hanley Swan Worcester, 10, November 06 Dear Setoni I was very sorry to miss you - soft am nore sorry than I oan say that all your dates for Lectures juct acree with the dates on which I an away fror London, Shall you be having any early in December as I have a few days vacant thonj and I am most anxious to hear oneof your addresses. I am studying your article on trades with great interest and will return it. I should like very much to quote it in my remarks to boyson the subjcot. If yo» read my "aids" to Soouting" you will see somewhat similar ideas express, but not "demonstrated" by diagram as yours are, and that is everything in teaohing the young ideas. By the way - do you use lantern slides for that purpose? I propose to do so on the 22nd an., 23rd when I am t lecture to tome h . s - but having never before attempted it, I don't know quite what the best kind of pictures to show* I shall be in town on the 12tht 15th, and 14th. Yours truly, (Signed)R.Baden Powell Telegrams, Hunley 'astie. JsLACKtORli PARK Station, Great .alvern HAMIAKY S AN WORCtfST'R 12.11.06 Dear Jeton: I return herewith, with rery many thanks, your interesting paper on trocks. I propose to quote it in one of »j lectures. Yoare sincerely, R.8.3. BADiiN POWJILL /U. /uy^ <sT as^Jb* _T 1 BOY SCOUTS. GOSCHEN BUILDINGS. HENRIETTA STREET, LONDON. W.C ^ J ov of N^vrv^,^^ SUx^ r cXU ^[«^ f~^ *A*~< *>*>«-* ttZZA <A<L A-M cJV^ CiCf^ CtJLi < H^f •^ t **. Jf-^5 tr C^yU^ J (^w tr^-C ^ «F~T (•ox^ ;xc ?«..N • ' u i>^«V lr ^ *~Jt J °^ (-Kt o«i Lfi^-K U^aJr t U^ ^ >~3 id-,-* T- V * "^ ^ V^* ^ >-*/> ei*. ^ -(r * Cov~ VI V 0. f >l,jso*c£Z*<*\ COPY Boy Scouts Cosohen Buildings Henrietta Street London, W.C. IS, February 190S My dear Setont Please forgive this sorawl written on the train. I wrote to you the other day in America telling you how I had b en able to make . a start with my scheme of Scouting for aoys, much on the lines of your Woodcraft Indians - and sendn& you the handbook, etc. But now I hear that you are in England and about to visit Wakefield where I was leoturin,; last night. So I send this in the of catohing you there. Do tell me your moves - I should so much like to meet you again and have a chat and get you to meet so.- e people who would interest you. Also i want to know whether your traoki:ig ir:ns arc patent or may I have some made like them, oalli.g them the Seton Traokin,; Irons I have so many requests for them. •>.he a'ove address will always find mej but these next threeor four days I shall be at Newcastle on Tyne {% Sir Andrew Hoblc, Jsemond Dene House) Yours sinoerely, (Signed) R. Baden-Powell P If after perusal of my soheme you oan say a good word for it in your lectures, I shall be very grateful indeed. It teaches stalking and observation and love of animals. The Foundation Meeting oC bhs Boy Scouts of America took plaoe on "'an. 18, 1910, at Christ Church Auditorium, .'.'est 38th Street, b;t een 8th and 9th avenue. .Yard Brad8treet was in the ohair. About 40 present, including Dr. and - iliok, representatives of the Y. M. C. A. and the Playgrounds. "9 .>.ad no knowledge of "'. D. voe's existenoe at the time. On Hay 9, 1910, I dined at the Union League Club with Messrs. Spra^ae, Terry, W. B. V.akefiled, Heald, Robinson, Ober, Marling and othars. This was a committee meeting for organization. That night, Y.akefield, i-eald, Robinson and self went to '.ashington. Next day, at the V.'illard, met for the first time ".'. D. B0yce of Chicago. I learned that he had taken an interest in the Boy Scouts. He went with us to the Committee of Education to ask for a Federal charter, I have no knowledge that he had any incorporation at the time. On that occasion we saw Speaker Cannon. Federal incorporation was refused. W. D. Boyoe promised us $1000 a month for one year to get started. HQ then wholly disappeared. 'e could not reach him by letter or -wire. He was in Europe. in he oarae back he said he oould not afford to carry out this promise, Imt paid us up to date,- §3fQ0-whioh went into the general expense of the office. So far as I know, this is all he ever did for the Boy Scouts. Ha 09rtainly never contributed an idea or valuable suggestion, and why he should appear on the record as the originator of the American Boy Scouts is past my comprehension. ST. INT J We, the undersigned, hbve seen the original documents re­ ferred to in the above HISTORY OF WOODCRAFT. Their authenticity is be­ yond question. We have examined the evidence, and agree that, in sum- ./, it establishes the following facts: 1. The Woodcraft, founded in 1902, is tne earliest of the outdoor organizations that were planned for character-building. 2. Baden-Powell's AIDS TO SCOUTING was, as shown by its title, a purely military manual, "for N.C.O's and men", and had no re­ lation to youth or the development if character in the young. 3. Baden-Powell obtained the BIRCH BARK ROLL or WOOD CRAFT -TTAL from Set on in 1^06. 4. This gave him a new idea, and when in 1908, he announced the 'Boy Scouts', he adopted tae essentials from Woodcraft, but added his military organization, military methods, and military ideals. At the time, he frankly admitted that his motto 'Be prepared' meant 'Be prepared for war'. 5. The special features introduced by Baden-rowell were the mil thought and methods, and the daily ^ood turn, iiany people consider that botn have proved dangerous. 6. To continue and grow sanely, the Scouts must return to the Wood-craft Program,- are, indeed, returning.