CARRINGTON: That raises a good point—when the rural boy moves to town, he very often has no entering wedge into the youth programs there. But if he is a Scout in the rural area he can transfer his membership and make a transition which would have been difficult without Scouting. Its universality is an important feature.
Reaching Out
McMILLEN: I see you’re all nodding in agreement, including Mr. Fox. Actually we have never really questioned the need, have we? It’s the ways to use Scouting best and to get it to the rural boy, that bothers us.
FOREST WITCRAFT, SCOUT EXECUTIVE: Does it really need to bother us? Of course it’s hard to take Scouting out to the boys in the open country, but plenty of Councils have proved that it can be done.
I’m thinking of Draper in my South Dakota country, with a population of 190, Barnard with 60, Strandburg with 177, Stratford, Northville and Garden City adding 700 more—six communities with a little better than 1100, supporting ten thriving Scout Units. I think of places like Tulare (population 244) with 19 Scouts, 17 of whom come from their farms. It can be done.
FOX: The crux of the problem is probably leadership. Can rural communities supply it? There is no question in my mind but that it’s there, but will men who do hard physical work long hours every day in the week give the time needed for Scouting?
HENRY P. CARSTENSEN, MASTER, STATE GRANGE: Part of the problem here is the tendency of parents of rural youth to take the attitude that Scouting is a non-essential activity, a luxury which they cannot afford.