the mind of the Pioneer Scout. Whenever opportunity offers Pioneer Scouts should be invited to display at city exhibitions the results of their scout workand the project work which they do as members of the Farm Boys' Clubs. Such project work, so far as it applies, should be credited toward scout tests.

At state and county fairs local councils should have exhibitions and literature for interesting rural boys and rural leaders in Scouting..

A State Director of Farm Boys' Clubs suggested that rural organizations be invited to elect boys to become Pioneer Scouts, secure the U. S. Navy and Boy Scout wireless service for their districts, and render such other scout service as might be needed.

Pioneer Scouts should be the forerunners of troops in territory where troop organization is possible. Many troops have been saved through the registration of a few of the best members as Pioneer Scouts during periods of troop inactivity. Always, in local council territory and elsewhere, the question of Associate Membership in a troop should be considered in connection with each Pioneer application. In most cases if it is possible for him to attend a meeting once a month or oftener.

Some confusion has been caused by the publication of a "Handbook for Pioneers" by the Y. M. C. A. This book contains "A Program of Christian Citizenship Training for Boys Twelve to Fourteen Years of Age," which includes some Scouting activities. The term "Pioneers" was not used by the Y. M. C. A. in connection with a section of its membership until about two years after the organization of the Pioneer Division of the Boy Scouts of America. There is no organic connection between the two, but cordial cooperation should be established.

Local Councils, whether they have Pioneer Division material in their territory or not, can help farm boys by cultivating local, state and national leaders of agricultural movements. Such a leader, if invited to serve on a local council, soon will want to extend the benefits of Scouting to rural boys.

THE VETERAN SCOUT ASSOCIATION

by F. Executive C. A. Edson,

Hyde Park-Woodlawn Dist.-Chicago

As scouting is primarily a matter of character development and as character development, being a matter of habit formation, requires time, time is an essential element in the full fruition of the scout training. In other words no matter how many tests a boy may pass, he has not had an opportunity to get the full benefit of scouting unless he has been in it for a long time—a period of several years. On the other hand, no boy has been in scouting for a considerable period can be considered as getting the real benefits of scout training unless he has shown sufficient interest in the scout program to make consistent progress through the various ranks. Every fully trained scout should therefore be at least First Class.

When a scout has had this all around training, being thoroughly grounded in the scout work, and well developed, through long continued service in the scout movement, it is but fitting that some suitable recognition of that fact be made. This is provided for through the establishment of the VETERAN SCOUT ASSOCIATION.

There are three conditions of membership in this Association.

(1) That the scout be at least a First Class Scout. (2) That he have had a total of at least five years service (not necessarily continuous).

(3) That he agrees:

(a) To live up to his scout obligation,

(b) To keep local scout authorities in the community in which he lives informed as to his availability for service to the community in case of emergency, and

(c) To take an active part in the promotion of the cause of Scouting as the circumstances and conditions in his case permit..

Just as scouts organized into troops can do more effective work than as isolated individuals, so Veteran Scouts, when organized consciously into a Veteran Scout Association can do effective work.

In some cities the members of the Veteran Scout Association have been organized into "troops," either tentative or official, and based upon the third requirement for membership in the Association, have been given advanced instruction and leadership training, and have then been used as instructors, etc., in their own and other troops.

A very effective organization of Veteran Scouts, however, is that in Philadelphia which is described. elsewhere.

Registration as a Veteran Scout, at a cost of $1.00 entails life membership in the Veteran Scout Association and entitles one to a Veteran Scout pin free. It also, of course, entitles one to wear the embroidered Veteran Scout badge on his uniform.

The Veteran Scout Association not only organizes the older boy, but it is also a means of extending to those scout officials of a total of five years' service a well merited recognition of their long and faithful service to boyhood. This is a bit of recognition which most men would highly prize. It would be well for all Scout Executives to keep a record of the length of service of all their local council members and other scout officials, and say once a year, see to it that all who were eligible became members of the Veteran Scout Association.

This registration of scout officials jointly with the older boys as members of the same association gives an opportunity for very helpful contact between these boys and those men whose experience is richest in scouting, and thus serves to make the influence of scouting upon these boys most effective.

One good measure of the effectiveness of a troop or local council is its ability to retain scouts and officials from year to year. A low turnover indicates high efficiency. Registration in the Veteran Scout Association of all those eligible visualizes low turnover.

Indications are that approximately 10% of the total scout registration-counting local council members, troop committee members and other scout officials, as well as scouts-are eligible for membership in the Veteran Scout Association and thus have served for at least five years. This would give approximately 50,000 of the present membership of scouting as being eligible. If an approximation of that number were actually registered as members of the Veteran Scout Association it would be a splendid thing for the movement.

The registration of members in this Association, and the activities of the Association offer splendid opportunities for very helpful publicity.

Not only should the public, through proper publicity be made aware of the fact that thousands of men and of boys each year take up volunteer service in scouting, and find it sufficiently worth while to continue so to serve year after year, but the scout organization itself should be made aware of this fact. will serve to encourage the new scoutmaster to see that these others have won out despite all difficulties and discouragements, and it will raise the morale of the entire organization.

It

Again a large Veteran Scout registration, and organized Veteran Scout activities, gives to the Association a prestige with the younger scouts which makes it a real incentive to stay in scouting in order to become eligible to join.

To sum up, the registering as members of the Veteran Scout Association of all those eligible.

(a) Gives deserved recognition to man and boy. (b) Helps to solve the older boy problem and thus to reduce scout turnover.

(c) Otherwise strengthens the effectiveness of the organization.

(d) Increases the prestige of Scouting in the community.

It is therefore both the privilege and the duty of every scout official to-REGISTER THE VETERAN.

The possibilities of scouting are far from exhausted when a boy or man has been in the movement for five years. "ONCE A SCOUT ALWAYS A SCOUT" is more than a slogan. As scouting enters its second decade there comes a rapidly growing body of men who have been in the movement for full ten years, either as officials, or first as scouts and then as officials. These are the pioneers, the men who builded scouting, doubly Veteran Scouts. All honor to them. No man should be permitted to have served these ten years without being suitably recognized through his registration as a ten year Veteran. All who so register are presented with the new ten year service pin.

Ten year registration, and the ten year service pin cost but $2.00. All men so registering who are not already members of the Veteran Scout Association are enrolled in it without additional expense. However, if the Veteran Scout (five year service) pin and certificate are desired, they must be purchased separately (cost $1.00).

To answer any questions which may arise regarding eligibility for ten year registration a statement of policy in question and answer form is given below. The same principles apply for eligibility to membership in the Veteran Scout Association after five years' service.