From 1922 and through into the 1930’s a “regional deputy” used to hit the road with little more than a small suitcase and bedroll at his side. His mission was to mobilize the youth and convince townspeople to invest in Scouting. This BSA road warrior would sometimes show up in a small town unannounced and set out discovering if there were any Troops or Scoutmasters in the area. Usually a talented salesman, he would then work quickly to establish an executive board and raise the funds needed to make a council’s first year budget. Though sometimes these outsiders were met with opposition, more likely than not, they would persevere, finding ways to band towns together and connect them to a city commissioner who could serve as a Scout executive. The traveling regional deputy’s main goal was to permanently stabilize Scouting’s position in an area. This had the additional benefit of familiarizing neighboring townsfolk and groups of people who would have not otherwise met. You can read more about this interesting facet from Scouting’s history in this online archive of Scouting Magazine What do you think? With Scouting in North America seeing a decline in memberships, should the BSA consider bringing the traveling Scout Man back? Or can this type of community building and organizing be done more effectively using the internet these days? Leave a comment with your thoughts. For the finest scout patches, pins, neckerchiefs and more visit Stadri's Scouting Site
