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The Scouting Party
Critical Praise for The Scouting Party ''My cup-runneth-over with admiration for Scott and Murphy's The Scouting Party . The amount of primary research conducted by the authors is deeply impressive. But, even more importantly, they remind us that Boy Scouts has been a whooping one hundred year success. Consider this scholarly book a gift to America.'' -- Douglas Brinkley , author of The Wilderness Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America ''Be Prepared! David C. Scott and Brendan Murphy have unsheathed their machetes and blazed a trail through the thickets of the fierce (and strangely delicate) masculine ideals that created the Boy Scouts. The story, with its subtexts of Anglo-Saxon superiority, chivalry, clean living, and military preparedness, explains much about the rough-rider ethos of American life in the early twentieth century. And for their handling of the colossal egos at the center of the story, the authors deserve merit badges in humor and fair play.'' -- Patricia O'Toole , author of When Trumpets Theodore Roosevelt after the White House and The Five of An Intimate Portrait of Henry Adams and His Friends '' The Scouting Party is part history, part detective narrative as it uncovers and catalogues in rich detail the jealousies, intrigues, and earnest efforts of the men who created the Boy Scouts. Through careful research and vivid descriptions, Scott and Murphy have told a story that is fundamentally and uniquely American.'' -- Candice Millard , author of The River of Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey ''[ The Scouting Party ] makes the perfect gift for any Scouting enthusiast as the organization launches into its second century.'' -- Scouting Magazine , Boy Scouts of America '' The Scouting Party brings Scouting's founders to life.'' -- Eagle Scout Magazine , The National Eagle Scout Association, Boy Scouts of America Product Description Set in the Progressive Era so dominated by President Theodore Roosevelt, The Scouting Party tells the story of the strong-minded and at times conflicting individuals, including Roosevelt, who shaped the Boy Scouts of America as it was founded a century ago in 1910 and took shape within a few years. The Scouting Party examines in particular the role of British-Canadian naturalist Ernest Thompson Seton, whose trailblazing Woodcraft Indians strongly influenced the British founder of Scouting, General Robert Baden-Powell. Seton became the intellectual mainspring of the Boy Scouts of America in its formative years. But BSA organizers preferred Baden-Powell s more conventional model to Seton s vision of a youth movement based on the culture and values of the American Indian. Seton, well known to Americans for his best-selling book, Wild Animals I Have Known , and his vivid lectures on wildlife, found himself increasingly at odds with BSA management between 1910 and 1915 over issues of organizational philosophy. He also clashed frequently with Dan Beard, an illustrator for Mark Twain and founder of the Sons of Daniel Boone, a rival to the Seton Indians, over precedence in the field. Seton and Beard both wrangled with BSA Executive Secretary James E. West, who arbitrated their frequent wrangles while keeping BSA solvent as the organization rapidly expanded. The exuberant personality of U.S. senior statesman Theodore Roosevelt looms large throughout The Scouting Party as an influential early patron and at times critic of BSA as it embraced pacifism in the initial years of the First World War. Upon U.S. entry into the conflict in 1917, however, BSA threw itself behind the war effort, in the process becoming a quintessential American institution.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published June 30, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 24, 2010
When it comes to Scouting, I'm a washout. Not only didn't I make it past Cub Scouts, tying my shoes is about as advanced as my knot repertoire gets. Fortunately, David Scott and Brendan Murphy's
The Scouting Party: Pioneering and Preservation, Progressivism and Preparedness in the Making of the Boy Scouts of America
doesn't require familiarity with the Boy Scouts or even any merit badges.
As Boy Scouts of America celebrates its 100th anniversary, The Scouting Party focuses on the organization's formative years and the personalities and viewpoints that gave rise to it. Yet even 100 years doesn't mean all the issues have changed. In the recent past, the Boy Scouts has been viewed as a somewhat militaristic, conservative organization and its stances on atheists and gays have prompted controversy and litigation. As Scott and Murphy observe in their meticulously researched book, questions of religion and militarism confronted the organization from its inception.
The bulk of the book focuses on the three men -- only one of whom was American -- who laid claim to originating the concept that became the Boy Scouts. Robert Baden-Powell, who became a household name in England due to his service in the British Army during the Second Boer War, is frequently considered the founder of Scouting. Yet also factoring in the mix were Ernest Thompson Seton, born in Scotland but whose family emigrated to Canada when he was a boy, and Daniel Carter Beard, the American illustrator of Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.
A book Baden-Powell wrote in 1899 about military scouting became a bestseller in England. Seton was the author of popular books of animal stories and a naturalist. While Baden-Powell was serving in Africa, Seton formed the Woodcraft Indians, a youth organization aimed at preparing boys for life by activities involving nature, animals, camping and Indian lore. Shortly after, Beard, who wrote successful books for boys, formed the Sons of Daniel Boone, aimed at using outdoor activities to teach boys about nature and conservation.
In 1906, Seton traveled to England, hoping to find support to grow the Woodcraft Indians organization. He gave Baden-Powell a copy of his book about the organization. In early 1908, Baden-Powell published Scouting for Boys, and Scout organizations began to spring up in England. Seton claimed, rightfully in several respects, that Baden-Powell's book and Boy Scouts organization borrowed heavily from his book. It would be a source of contention for the remainder of their lives, one in which Beard also chimed in, claiming his earlier books and the Sons of Daniel Boone were the basis for the Boy Scouts of America. Because both Beard and Seton lived in the U.S. and worked with BSA, the exchanges between them were most frequent. In fact, James West, BSA's chief executive from 1911 to 1943, said that during the first years of his tenure he spent one-third of his time mediating the "everlasting controversy" between Seton and Beard. Seton frequently did battle with the BSA on a wide variety of other issues, large and small. He even once criticized chewing gum ads in Boy's Life magazine as promoting "a dope habit" foisted on American youth by "the unscrupulous gum trust."
While The Scouting Party documents the controversy over who deserved credit for Boy Scouts and the various disputes over primacy between Beard and Seton, it does so objectively. Quoting frequently from contemporary correspondence, Scott and Murphy allow those involved, particularly Beard and Seton, to state their own cases, even when they are claiming more credit than probably appropriate. At the same time, though, the book doesn't ignore the role of West and others. Equally important, rather than just focusing on the conflict among the men, it provides insight into what they thought should be the guiding principles of Scouting.
Perhaps most notable, if not surprising, is that they did not want Boy Scouts seen as a militaristic organization. While they believed the training Scouting provided would be beneficial in time of war, they viewed the organization as more of a pacifist organization aimed at public service and preparedness for civil emergencies. In fact, the same year BSA was established, publisher William Randolph Hearst launched the American Boy Scouts, which was going to instruct its members in military drill and tactics. Baden-Powell, in contrast, called his Scouts "peace scouts." Seton continually labored against any militaristic bent to the organization and Beard even saw the motto "Be Prepared" as too militaristic.
Yet while the BSA aligned itself with peace organizations and movements in the early years of World War I, that position began to change with public attitude in the U.S. As the country came closer to and eventually entered the war, BSA would distance itself from the pacifist groups, a distance that would never be narrowed.
With the title, Murphy and Scott suggest the BSA grew into such a national institution it need not worry about alignment with any political party. Yet their research reveals that the tide of political opinion could and did influence the organization -- something that remains true today. In so doing, they provide perhaps unparalleled insight into the unique personalities behind the birth and growth of Scouting and how and why they promoted ideas many would not associate with the movement today. Ultimately, the reader wonders, as they do, what BSA would be like today had those initial attitudes prevailed.
(Originally posted at A Progressive on the Prairie.)
As Boy Scouts of America celebrates its 100th anniversary, The Scouting Party focuses on the organization's formative years and the personalities and viewpoints that gave rise to it. Yet even 100 years doesn't mean all the issues have changed. In the recent past, the Boy Scouts has been viewed as a somewhat militaristic, conservative organization and its stances on atheists and gays have prompted controversy and litigation. As Scott and Murphy observe in their meticulously researched book, questions of religion and militarism confronted the organization from its inception.
The bulk of the book focuses on the three men -- only one of whom was American -- who laid claim to originating the concept that became the Boy Scouts. Robert Baden-Powell, who became a household name in England due to his service in the British Army during the Second Boer War, is frequently considered the founder of Scouting. Yet also factoring in the mix were Ernest Thompson Seton, born in Scotland but whose family emigrated to Canada when he was a boy, and Daniel Carter Beard, the American illustrator of Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.
A book Baden-Powell wrote in 1899 about military scouting became a bestseller in England. Seton was the author of popular books of animal stories and a naturalist. While Baden-Powell was serving in Africa, Seton formed the Woodcraft Indians, a youth organization aimed at preparing boys for life by activities involving nature, animals, camping and Indian lore. Shortly after, Beard, who wrote successful books for boys, formed the Sons of Daniel Boone, aimed at using outdoor activities to teach boys about nature and conservation.
In 1906, Seton traveled to England, hoping to find support to grow the Woodcraft Indians organization. He gave Baden-Powell a copy of his book about the organization. In early 1908, Baden-Powell published Scouting for Boys, and Scout organizations began to spring up in England. Seton claimed, rightfully in several respects, that Baden-Powell's book and Boy Scouts organization borrowed heavily from his book. It would be a source of contention for the remainder of their lives, one in which Beard also chimed in, claiming his earlier books and the Sons of Daniel Boone were the basis for the Boy Scouts of America. Because both Beard and Seton lived in the U.S. and worked with BSA, the exchanges between them were most frequent. In fact, James West, BSA's chief executive from 1911 to 1943, said that during the first years of his tenure he spent one-third of his time mediating the "everlasting controversy" between Seton and Beard. Seton frequently did battle with the BSA on a wide variety of other issues, large and small. He even once criticized chewing gum ads in Boy's Life magazine as promoting "a dope habit" foisted on American youth by "the unscrupulous gum trust."
While The Scouting Party documents the controversy over who deserved credit for Boy Scouts and the various disputes over primacy between Beard and Seton, it does so objectively. Quoting frequently from contemporary correspondence, Scott and Murphy allow those involved, particularly Beard and Seton, to state their own cases, even when they are claiming more credit than probably appropriate. At the same time, though, the book doesn't ignore the role of West and others. Equally important, rather than just focusing on the conflict among the men, it provides insight into what they thought should be the guiding principles of Scouting.
Perhaps most notable, if not surprising, is that they did not want Boy Scouts seen as a militaristic organization. While they believed the training Scouting provided would be beneficial in time of war, they viewed the organization as more of a pacifist organization aimed at public service and preparedness for civil emergencies. In fact, the same year BSA was established, publisher William Randolph Hearst launched the American Boy Scouts, which was going to instruct its members in military drill and tactics. Baden-Powell, in contrast, called his Scouts "peace scouts." Seton continually labored against any militaristic bent to the organization and Beard even saw the motto "Be Prepared" as too militaristic.
Yet while the BSA aligned itself with peace organizations and movements in the early years of World War I, that position began to change with public attitude in the U.S. As the country came closer to and eventually entered the war, BSA would distance itself from the pacifist groups, a distance that would never be narrowed.
With the title, Murphy and Scott suggest the BSA grew into such a national institution it need not worry about alignment with any political party. Yet their research reveals that the tide of political opinion could and did influence the organization -- something that remains true today. In so doing, they provide perhaps unparalleled insight into the unique personalities behind the birth and growth of Scouting and how and why they promoted ideas many would not associate with the movement today. Ultimately, the reader wonders, as they do, what BSA would be like today had those initial attitudes prevailed.
(Originally posted at A Progressive on the Prairie.)
January 4, 2023
Many of us know the history of Boy Scouts, founded in Great Britain by General Robert Baden-Powell. Fewer people know about its beginning in the United States in 1910. British-Canadian naturalist Ernest Thompson-Seton founded a youth group based on the culture and values of the American Indian and his program became the American Boy Scouts in its founding years. However, other founding American scouters preferred Baden-Powell's more conventional model.
This is the story of the BSA during its tumultuous years of 1910-1915, where smart strong men with large personalities wrangled over this rapidly growing organization.
This is the story of the BSA during its tumultuous years of 1910-1915, where smart strong men with large personalities wrangled over this rapidly growing organization.
August 30, 2010
The Scouting Party
By David C. Scott & Brendan Murphy
Red Honor Press
2010
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
Everyone knows the Boy Scouts of America, and most know someone who was, or who are or have been, personally involved in the Scouting program as it celebrates its centennial in 2010. Some may know of scouting in England first and might even know the name Robert Baden-Powell associated with it. Even more may know of scouting begun in America credited to William Boyce. Yet how many people actually know all the facts and all the people behind its origins?
The Scouting Party is an excellent historical compilation of the facts, people, and story behind the beginnings of Scouting. Many divergent personalities played a crucial role in the controversial formation of the Boy Scouts of America.
This book, however, is far from a drab history text. While it gives testament to the intensive research of its authors, the presentation is a very human story, which is what this reviewer feels gives it its strength. The book begins in its introduction in September 1910 at the Waldorf-Astoria on Fifth Avenue in New York where the newly established BSA was fighting to be the sole scouting organization in the United States. From there each chapter takes the reader back to the individuals involved, developing the story into a more fully rounded understanding of each of the protagonists.
Black and white photographs show images from the early 1900’s of Ernest Thompson Seton, Robert Baden-Powell, Dan Beard, President Theodore Roosevelt, Buffalo Bill, Pawnee Bill, Buffalo Jones, James West, William Boyce, and more, bringing the reader back 100 years to witness the personalities behind both the inspiration and conflicts in the formation of Scouting in the United States.
Angie Mangino currently works as a freelance writer and book reviewer. http://www.angiemangino.com
By David C. Scott & Brendan Murphy
Red Honor Press
2010
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
Everyone knows the Boy Scouts of America, and most know someone who was, or who are or have been, personally involved in the Scouting program as it celebrates its centennial in 2010. Some may know of scouting in England first and might even know the name Robert Baden-Powell associated with it. Even more may know of scouting begun in America credited to William Boyce. Yet how many people actually know all the facts and all the people behind its origins?
The Scouting Party is an excellent historical compilation of the facts, people, and story behind the beginnings of Scouting. Many divergent personalities played a crucial role in the controversial formation of the Boy Scouts of America.
This book, however, is far from a drab history text. While it gives testament to the intensive research of its authors, the presentation is a very human story, which is what this reviewer feels gives it its strength. The book begins in its introduction in September 1910 at the Waldorf-Astoria on Fifth Avenue in New York where the newly established BSA was fighting to be the sole scouting organization in the United States. From there each chapter takes the reader back to the individuals involved, developing the story into a more fully rounded understanding of each of the protagonists.
Black and white photographs show images from the early 1900’s of Ernest Thompson Seton, Robert Baden-Powell, Dan Beard, President Theodore Roosevelt, Buffalo Bill, Pawnee Bill, Buffalo Jones, James West, William Boyce, and more, bringing the reader back 100 years to witness the personalities behind both the inspiration and conflicts in the formation of Scouting in the United States.
Angie Mangino currently works as a freelance writer and book reviewer. http://www.angiemangino.com
June 6, 2015
This book was vital to my senior thesis, and I am reviewing this book as both a reader and researcher of the book.
Scott and Murphy explain the Boy Scouts of America through the personalities and motives of the scouting leaders. The BSA was formed from men that had dreams, experiences, and understandings that are evident within the BSA.
The authors explain how these personalities clashed, in which the scouting founders argued heavily regarding the programs and purpose of the BSA.
Overall, I recommend this book for anyone interested in the BSA.
Scott and Murphy explain the Boy Scouts of America through the personalities and motives of the scouting leaders. The BSA was formed from men that had dreams, experiences, and understandings that are evident within the BSA.
The authors explain how these personalities clashed, in which the scouting founders argued heavily regarding the programs and purpose of the BSA.
Overall, I recommend this book for anyone interested in the BSA.
March 31, 2013
As a Scout history buff, I read a lot of Scouting books. This one presents a unique point of view and brought out many details about the early history of the Boys Scouts of America. The three men it deals with, and the relationship they had, were fundamental to the establishment of the B.S.A. I thought David Scott did an excellent job of researching and writing this. I recommend it to all interested in U.S. history and certainly the history of the Boys Scouts in this country.
November 14, 2015
I found the book an insightful rendition of the relationships between the founders of Scouting in America. The story carried on like a gossip session among school girls (which may or may not be accurate for those early days). I did enjoy following the early battles for the heart and soul of the BSA. It is a fine read for anyone interested in the history of the BSA but not much else. I was hoping to see how the early BSA fit in with the progressive movement in America to no avail.
January 9, 2011
A fascinating, well-documented look into the lives of the founding fathers of the Boy Scouts of America. Not the sanitized history and biographical paragraphs from your Boy Scout Handbook. Tales of jealousy, rivalry, and overgrown egos. And yet, without the balance and mixture of each of these men, the BSA would have either fallen apart, or become a very different organization than it did.
August 20, 2010
Surprised at all the infighting, back stabbing and quest for credit amongst the three founders.
Read my complete review here: http://blogcritics.org/books/article/...
Read my complete review here: http://blogcritics.org/books/article/...
August 23, 2012
Great anniversary narrative on the founding of Scouting and a bit of setting the record straight on the roles and importance of the founders.
December 6, 2015
Well researched, not sugar-coated. If you are interested in learning the history of the BSA and how it all started, this is the best book I have found.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews