Boy Scouts Signal Sender or When Wigwag Knowledge Paid - Annotated Edition

by Archibald Lee Fletcher, Ronald J. Stacey (Editor), P. Todd Kelly (Foreword)

Big Rock Publishing presents the Centennial Edition of The Boy Scout Series, originally published in 1913, and written by Maj. Archibald Lee Fletcher. This edition features a foreword written by P. Todd Kelly, noted Scouting historian and Ronald J. Stacey, Editor. In the foreword, Kelly and Stacey point out some similarities and quite a few differences between America in 1913 and talk about the general state of affairs in the nation and the world at large. Readers also will learn a great deal about how Scouting differed in its early days from the movement it became over the past one hundred years.The foreword itself provides a history lesson in its own right, but when paired with the beautiful prose of Fletcher (whom the reader will learn was really a pseudonym for St. George Rathborne) and the depth of characterizations presented, this work becomes a telling snapshot of life in the early part of the 20th century.Boy Scouts Signal Sender is the third volume of a twelve-book series by Maj. Archibald Lee Fletcher, whose biography appears later in the Foreward of this title.Boy Scouts Signal Sender continues the story of the boys of the Beaver Patrol of Beverly, Indiana, a small Midwestern town. The boys, who live shortly after the turn of the twentieth century, formed their own fledgling Boy Scout troop – the first in their town. It is the dawn of the scouting movement in America. Their original efforts barely drew enough boys to form one patrol, but as they proved themselves again and again in adventures told in the earlier books, a second patrol started to form as more boys were brought into the fold. The townspeople’s initial considerable skepticism slowly turned to respect, but the boys still have to fight off the sabotage attempts and ill-will of their rivals – a gang of tough boys from the ‘wrong side of the tracks’ who are determined to out-do or break up the Beaver Patrol.

125 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 28, 2011

Reviews

[Michael Wiggins · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Boy Scouts Signal Sender or When WIGWAG Knowledge Paid," by Archibald Lee Fletcher, couldn't possibly be written today. The Boy Scouts of America wouldn't allow their organization to be associated with such boyish antics and foolish bravery. This is a story of the intrepid Beaver Patrol, whose members each sport a bronze honor medallion for saving a life, and who seem destined for great things wherever they may go. In this adventure, they outfox a couple of criminals (including an escaped convict, no less) get the hapless crooks nabbed by the authorities, and find the hidden loot. They get shot at a few times, bust up a getaway car, and defeat an armed thug with a well-thrown rock. Not bad for a day of Scouting.

I have the original copy of the book, published in 1913, which is falling to pieces despite my careful handling. The book is only a few years younger than the Scouting program itself. The story is much like so much juvenile fiction of the day, stuffed with heroics and unbelievable turns of luck. I don't care; I love the carefree nature of these worlds, and will dig up others to read if I can. It is probably better to find a reprint than an original, however, and I believe there are some to be found.