Exhibit Spotlight: Scouting’s Patriotism During WWI

Article by Alexander Bennett Museum Curator @ the World Scouting Museum

April 6, 2026, marks the 109th Anniversary of the US joining WWI, and in conjunction with the 250th birthday, we thought this month we should shine the Exhibit Spotlight on Scouting’s Patriotism during that conflict. This moment in Scouting history was a bit more complex, much like any period of American history that includes war, with support on both sides for and against utilizing Boy Scouts for the war effort.

Ultimately, the Boy Scouts found a good balance in terms of helping the war effort here at home in several ways. To raise money, Scouts sold Liberty Loans during 5 different Liberty Loan Campaigns from 1917 to 1919, earning Liberty Loan or War Service Medals and Bars. Some Scouts earned the 1919 Victory Liberty Loan Token also for their service that was salvaged from captured German cannons! The slogan for the Liberty Loan Campaign was “Every Scout to Save A Soldier.”

War Savings Thrift Stamps were another way Scouts helped the US Government to raise money for the War effort, selling for 25¢ each with the goal of buying a total of 16 totaling $5 over time and earned 4% interest compounded quarterly. Scouts who participated in this effort were awarded the War Savings Stamps Achievement Award, but Scouts selling at least $250 in War Savings Stamps to 25 or more individuals were awarded the BSA WWI War Saving Service “Ace” Medals.

Another way that Scouting helped the War Effort was through Gardening. The need for increased food production to send overseas for Soldiers and Allies was great, so Scouting stepped up to help feed the world. In April 1917, the BSA launched a Gardening Campaign with the slogan, “Every Scout to Feed a Soldier.” The goal was that each Scout would start a garden of his own and conserve food. If a Scout cannot start their own garden, they were encouraged to assist someone with a garden. Scouts who started a garden were called Grub Scouts and were also encouraged to get at least 10 or more people in the community involved in the campaign. Scouts who participated in the Gardening Campaign were awarded the Grub Scout Pin and Gardening Medals for their efforts.

After the success of the first 2 Liberty Loan Campaigns, the Scouts received numerous requests for their service on the home front during the Great War. The Committee on Public Information requested that Scouts serve as Dispatch Bearers, utilizing the slogan, “Every Scout to Boost America.” By the end of WWI, Scouts had distributed over 30,000 pieces of Government Literature!

Scouts were also asked to collect peach pits at home during the War effort, but why? Peach Pits, along with other certain seeds and nuts, including coconuts, chestnuts, and horse chestnuts, when burnt and turned to charcoal, have a much greater absorption of poisonous gases than charcoal from wood. This made them much more effective for gas masks used by soldiers during gas attacks. Scouts were tasked with collecting the pits so that they could be used by soldiers overseas during the conflict.

Black Walnut Trees became an essential component for making various items during WWI, like shock-resistant aircraft propellers and rifle stocks. The problem was that Black Walnut Trees grow sporadically in forests and needed to be surveyed and mapped. In 1918, President Woodrow Wilson called upon the Boy Scouts to help survey and locate the Black Walnut Trees, which led to over 100,000 trees found and harvested for the War Effort.

A Few Ways European Scouts Helped the War Effort

This is the Cornwell Scout Badge. This award was given by The Scout Association of the United Kingdom and some of its branches in other countries for gallantry. Candidates must have displayed “preeminently high character and devotion to duty, together with great courage and endurance”. The Cornwell Scout Badge is restricted to Beaver Scouts, Cub Scouts, Scouts, Explorer Scouts, and Scout Network Members. The award was named in honour of Jack Cornwell, a Navy Sailor and Scout, who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross after he was mortally wounded at the Battle of Jutland in 1916. It is awarded in recognition of devotion to duty, courage, and endurance. John Travers Cornwell, known as “Jack”, was a 16-year-old Boy Seaman First Class on board the Royal Navy light cruiser, HMS Chester. At the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916, Chester came under heavy fire from four German cruisers that she had encountered in poor visibility, incurring numerous casualties among the exposed crew members working the guns. Jack’s captain later wrote, “Boy (1st Class) John Travers Cornwell of the Chester was mortally wounded early in the action. He nevertheless remained standing alone at a most exposed post, quietly awaiting orders till the end of the action, with the gun’s crew dead and wounded all round him.”

During WWI, Scouts raised funds to establish “Scout Huts” that served as vital recreation centers, canteens, and rest areas for soldiers, which were normally staffed by former Scouts. These huts provided refreshments, entertainment, and a home-like atmosphere for troops, with examples including a 1915 hut near Calais and numerous YMCA-run facilities. Operating from mid-August 1917, the YMCA’s Eagle Hut was officially opened on 3 September by US ambassador W.H. Page. The Eagle Hut was established by four American businessmen based in London: E.C. Carter, Robert Grant, Grant Forbes, and Francis E Powell. It stood at the point where the Indian High Commission and some of Bush House now stand, slightly west of the bottom of Kingsway on the north side of Aldwych.

Video from British Pathe on the opening of the London Eagle Hut

The hut served around two million meals in the two years it operated – from August 1917 to August 1919. It was said to serve 3,000 per day, 4-5,000 on busy days. American pancakes were the most popular items offered, with 1,000 sold every day, as well as 13-15,000 ice creams per week during the summer. The hut was run by 800 volunteers – most of them women – and included 410 beds for servicemen staying overnight. It also had a billiard room, and other games were played – including a Kaiser-bashing game.

That day, the King and Queen also paid a visit. 7,662 meals were sold, while the King tried out one of those American pancakes. As well as sports, food, and accommodation, the Hut also provided information for the troops. The YMCA also organised theatre trips and sightseeing trips for them, to places like Kew, Windsor, St Paul’s, the Tower of London, and the Old Cheshire Cheese pub. In August 1919, the hut finally closed its doors. A dance was held to mark the occasion. A decade later, the then US Ambassador, A.B. Houghton, unveiled a plaque to be placed on the wall of the buildings on the site of the Eagle Hut, paid for by the ‘Eagle Hutters’, a group of American businessmen who had volunteered at the Hut during the war.

While this is a list of many ways Scouts in America and in Europe helped the War Effort, there is much more to this subject. Maybe in the future we will revisit the topic and focus on what Girl Scouts and Girl Guides did as well, or highlight more ways Scouts in Europe helped. We hope you enjoyed this Exhibit Spotlight and hope you stay tuned to learn more about Scouting History!

Scouting & WWI Displays at the World Scouting Museum

Here are displays that are available to see in person at the World Scouting Museum at 1615 Washington Street East, Charleston, WV 25311. If you enjoy this Exhibit Spotlight, be sure to visit the World Scouting Museum to see them in person and learn more soon!

The Boy Scouts of America: Helping Our Country in Time of Need Poster Text

To save some time, I have used an Image OCR tool to grab the text from the poster. Unfortunately, it has caused most of the text to be uppercase, unless I needed to make edits for clarity or to fix mistakes made by the OCR software. Please excuse the capital letters. If you are looking to help us out, please retype this with the correct capitalization and send it to the WSM Museum Curator at wsmwvcurator@gmail.com

SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1910, THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA HAS PROVIDED INVALUABLE SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY IN TIME OF WAR. WHETHER IT WAS RAISING MONEY, COLLECTING SCRAP PAPER AND METAL, OR ACTING AS COURIERS, BOY SCOUTS HEEDED THEIR COUNTRY’S CALL WHENEVER IT CAME.

WORLD WAR I

WORLD WAR I GAVE THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE THE VALUE OF SCOUTING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT AT THE OUTBREAK OF THE WAR, THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA WERE PRACTICALLY THE LARGEST UNIFORMED ORGANIZATION IN THE COUNTRY. THE BSA HAD MORE THAN TWICE THE NUMERICAL STRENGTH OF THE STANDING ARMY, NEARLY TWICE THE NUMERICAL STRENGTH OF THE NATIONAL GUARD, FOUR TIMES THE STRENGTH OF THE U.S. NAVY AND ELEVEN TIMES THE STRENGTH OF THE U.S. MARINE CORPS.

THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT, AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND MANY OTHERS CALLED FOR THE SCOUTS TO HELP WITH SPECIAL PROJECTS. EACH TIME, THE SCOUTS GAVE THEIR TOTAL EFFORT AND COMPLETED THE ASSIGNED TASK WITH ABOVE-AVERAGE RESULTS.

LIBERTY LOAN CAMPAIGNS

ONE OF THE MAJOR UNDERTAKINGS OF THE BOY SCOUTS DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR WAS SELLING LIBERTY BONDS THROUGHOUT THE FIVE LIBERTY LOANS. CAMPAIGNS. THE BOY SCOUTS ADOPTED THE SLOGAN • ‘EVERY SCOUT TO SAVE A SOLDIER’ AND CONDUCTED HOUSE TO HOUSE CANVASES TO ACQUIRE BOND SUBSCRIPTIONS. IN TOTAL, THE SCOUTS SOLD MORE THAN 2350, 977 SUBSCRIPTIONS, AMOUNTING TO OVER $354,59. 262

FIRST LIBERTY LOAN CAMPAIGN: IN A LETTER DATED MAY 19, 1917. PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON FIRST ASKED THE BOY SCOUTS TO HELP ACQUIRE BONO SUBSCRIPTIONS WHEN THE ADULT CAMPAIGNERS REALIZED THEY WOULD BE UNABLE TO REACH EVERYONE FROM JUNE 11 – 14, 1917. SCOUTS ARMED WITH SPECIALLY PRINTED APPLICATION FORMS SOUGHT OUT THOSE OVERLOOKED BY THE ADULT CANVASSERS. REFERRED TO AS -GLEANERS AFTER THE REAPERS’ THE SCOUTS SOLD OVER 523.000.000 IN FOUR DAYS.

SECOND LIBERTY LOAN CAMPAIGN: DUE TO THE EFFORT DURING THE FIRST CAMPAIGN, THE BOY SCOUTS WERE AGAIN ASKED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SECOND LIBERTY LOAN CAMPAIGN. ONCE AGAIN, THE SCOUTS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO BEGIN UNTIL AFTER THE ADULT CANVASSERS HAD COVERED THE FIELD. FROM OCTOBER 21-26, 1917, SCOUTS WERE ABLE TO SELL A LOT OF $102.400,100 IN LIBERTY BONDS.

THIRD LIBERTY LOAN CAMPAIGN: FROM APRIL 25 TO MAY 5. 1918 THE SCOUTS SECURED $81. 659, 950 IN BOND SUBSCRIPTIONS. AS PART OF THIS CAMPAIGN, THE U S. GOVERNMENT ISSUED A SPECIAL. POSTER HONORING THE SCOUTS. THE POSTER OF A SCOUT KNEELING IN FRONT OF LADY LIBERTY WAS DESIGNED BY MR. J. C. LEYENDECKER. Over one million copies of this poster were distributed during the campaign

FOURTH LIBERTY LOAN CAMPAIGN: IN OCTOBER 1918, THE SCOUTS ONCE AGAIN PARTICIPATED IN A LIBERTY LOAN CAMPAIGN HOWEVER UNLIKE PRIOR CAMPAI.S, THE SCOUTS WERE NOT HELD BACK UNTIL THE LAST THE LAST FEW DAYS OF THE DRIVE. DURING THIS CAMPAIGN, THE BOY SCOUTS RAISED .

FIFTH LIBERTY LOAN CAMPAIGN: ALSO KNOWN AS THE VICTORY LOAN. THIS DRIVE TOOK PLACE IN MAY 1919, AFTER THE ARMISTICE. THE SCOUTS WERE ABLE TO RAISE $78.114.612 THROUGH BOND SALES.

WAR SAVINGS STAMPS

In addition to their fundraising efforts in the five Liberty Loan campaigns, the Boy Scouts of America raised $51043,068 by selling thrift war savings stamps. UNLIKE War BONDS, THE THRIFT STAMPS SOLD FOR 25 CENTS EACH, WHILE WAR SAVINGS STAMPS WERE $5 00 EACH ALL MONEY INVESTED WOULD RECEIVE 4% INTEREST compounded quarterly.

AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CAMPAIGN, THE GOVERNMENT PRINTED SPECIAL ‘RED POST CARDS’ TO BE USED ONLY BY THE BOY SCOUTS OF THE GOVERNMENT. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE BSA, ALSO DEVELOPED AND PUBLISHED A SPEC. INSTRUCTION MANUAL.

A SPECIAL PIN – THE ‘ACHIEVEMENT AWARD” AND THE ACE AWARD” COULD BE EARNED BY SCOUTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS CAMPAIGN

GARDENING

WHEN THE UNITED STATES ENTERED THE WAR, the need for extra food to send overseas to our soldiers and allies soon became apparent. IN APRIL 1917, THE BSA launched a campaign using the slogan ‘Every Scout to Feed a Soldier.’

THE GOAL OF THIS CAMPAIGN WAS TO GET EVERY SCOUT TO CONSERVE FOOD AND START A GARDEN OF HIS OWN. SCOUTS WHO COULD NOT MAKE ONE WERE ENCOURAGED TO ASSIST SOMEONE WHO HAD A GARDEN ‘GRUB SCOUTS, AS THEY WERE CALLED. WERE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO GET TEN OR MORE FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS EFFORT. MANY TROOPS AND COUNCILS STARTED LARGE GARDENS WHERE LOCAL SCOUTS WORKED TOGETHER.

BY THE WAR’S END, OVER 12.000 SCOUTS HAD PARTICIPATED IN WAR GARDENS, PRODUCING THOUSANDS OF BUSHELS OF GREATLY NEEDED FOOD. SCOUT PINS AND MEDALS WERE AWARDED TO THOSE SCOUTS AND SCOUTERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS CAMPAIGN

DISPATCH BEARERS

AS A RESULT OF THE HUGE SUCCESS OF THE SCOUTS IN THE FIRST TWO LIBERTY LO. CAMPAIGNS. THE SCOUTS RECEIVED NUMEROUS REQUESTS FOR THEIR SERVICES, INCLUDING ONE FROM THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC INFORMATION TO ACT AS DISPATCH BEARERS UNDER THE SLOGAN -EVERY SCOUT TO BOOST AMERICA’ BY THE END OF THE W. THE BOY SCOUTS HAD DISTRIBUTED OVER 30.000.000 PIECES OF GOVERNMENT LITERATURE.

OTHER SERVICE TO THE NATION

THE SCOUTS PERFORMED MANY SERVICES OTHER THAN THOSE MENTIONED DURING WORLD WAR I OTHER EXAMPLES OF THEIR SUPPORT OF THE WAR EFFORT INCLUDE PARTICIPATING IN A NATION-WIDE BOOK DRIVE, IDENTIFYING BLACK WALNUT TREES. COLLECTING FRUIT NTS, AND MANY ACTIVITIES ON THE LOCAL LEVEL, TOO NUMEROUS TO MENTION.

SPECIAL AWARDS

LIBERTY LOAN MEDALS AND AWARDS
THROUGHOUT THE LIBERTY LOAN CAMPAIGNS, SPECIAL MEDALS WERE PRESENTED TO THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED THE UNITED STATES TREASURY DEPARTMENT AWARDED EACH SCOUT A MEDAL FOR SELLING TEN OR MORE LIBERTY LOAN BONDS IN ONE OF THE FIVE CAMPAIGNS IF THE SAME SCOUT SOLD TEN OR MORE LIBERTY LOAN BONDS IN MORE THAN ONE CAMPAIGN, HE RECEIVED A SPECIAL BAR TO BE ADDED TO HIS MEDAL UP TO A MAXIMUM OF FOUR BARS

WAR SAVINGS STAMP “ACE” MEDAL THE WSS “ACE” MEDAL WAS AWARDED TO SCOUTS OR SCOUTERS WHO SECURED A MINIMUM OF 25 SUBSCRIPTIONS AMOUNTING TO $250. THE NUMBER OF “ACE. MEDALS AWARDED TOTALED 13,135. ONE BRONZE PALM WAS AWARDED TO EACH “ACE” AWARD RECIPIENT FOR EVERY $100 WORTH OF WAR SAVINGS STAMP SUBSCRIPTIONS SECURED. A SILVER PALM WAS AWARDED FOR AN ADDITIONAL $1000 WORTH OF STAMP SUBSCRIPTIONS SECURED, AND A GOLD PALM FOR AN ADDITIONAL $5000.

THE SCOUT IN EACH STATE WITH THE GREATEST NUMBER OF WSS PALMS TO HIS CREDIT AT THE END OF 10115 RECEIVED A PERSONAL LETTER OF THANKS FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

WWI Poster Photos Gallery

The Cornwell Badge

Scouting & WWI Photo Gallery

Report from Google Gemini on the US Government and Scouting America

Report and Request Run on 3/26/26

PROMPT: Has the US Government or Presidential Administrations ever dictated to Scouting America, formerly the Boy Scouts of America, specific program requirements for merit badges to continue the US Support of the organization via its 1916 US Congressional Charter signed by Woodrow Wilson (see 36 U.S.C. §§ 30901-08) before Pete Hegseth and the Trump Administration?

Based on historical records and recent developments as of March 2026, the short answer is no. Prior to the actions of the second Trump Administration and Secretary of War (Defense) Pete Hegseth in early 2026, there is no historical precedent for the U.S. Government or a Presidential Administration “dictating” specific program requirements or the creation/removal of merit badges for Scouting America (formerly the Boy Scouts of America).

While the relationship between the organization and the government is unique, it has historically been characterized by cooperation rather than curriculum mandate.

1. The Historical Relationship (1916–2024)

The 1916 U.S. Congressional Charter (36 U.S.C. §§ 30901-08) was primarily designed to protect the BSA’s name and insignia and to recognize it as a patriotic organization.

Administrative Independence: While the Charter requires an annual report to Congress, Section 30903 explicitly places governance in the hands of the Executive Board, not the President or Congress.
Honorary Role: Since William Howard Taft, the sitting U.S. President has served as the “Honorary President” of /the BSA. This role was traditionally symbolic—signing Eagle Scout certificates, issuing procla/mations, and occasionally speaking at National Jamborees.
War Effort Cooperation: During WWI and WWII, the government requested help from Scouts (e.g., selling Liberty Bonds, collecting scrap rubber). The BSA created “Emergency Service” programs and badges (like Thrift or Food Production) in response, but these were developed internally by the BSA to support the national interest, not mandated by the White House as a condition of their charter.

2. Legal Precedents and Challenges

Historically, the U.S. government has avoided interfering with the BSA’s “expressive message” or advancement requirements because the organization is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

BSA v. Dale (2000): The Supreme Court affirmed that the BSA has a First Amendment right to set its own membership and leadership standards, independent of government interference.
The 2004-2005 DoD Shift: Under the Bush Administration, the Department of Defense (DoD) ended the direct sponsorship of Scouting units on military bases following an ACLU lawsuit regarding the Establishment Clause (religion in scouting). However, the government did not attempt to change the merit badge requirements or the Scout Oath during this transition.

3. The 2026 Shift: Hegseth and the Trump Administration

The events of early 2026 represent a major departure from this 110-year tradition. In February 2026, Secretary Pete Hegseth leveraged Executive Order 14173 (restoring “merit-based” opportunity) to pressure Scouting America into the following changes:

Immediate Discontinuation: The “Citizenship in Society” merit badge (a mandatory Eagle requirement focused on diversity and inclusion) was discontinued effective February 27, 2026—the first time a merit badge was ever removed due to direct government pressure.
Program Mandates: The introduction of a new “Military Service” merit badge and the reversal of policies regarding gender identity were framed as requirements to maintain DoD “partnership” (including access to military bases and equipment).

Summary Comparison

Feature	Historical Precedent (1916–2024)	Hegseth/Trump Admin (2026)
Curriculum Control	Internally managed by the BSA National Council.	Dictated via Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
Merit Badge Policy	Badges added/retired based on societal trends.	“Citizenship in Society” removed by govt demand.
Charter Support	Support viewed as a recognition of service.	Support used as leverage for policy compliance.
Presidential Role	Symbolic/Honorary.	Directive/Active Oversight.

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