Poster used to campaign against the militaristic United States Boy Scouts

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) wanted to establish a program “to teach patriotism, courage, self-reliance, and kindred values,” but that description wasn’t always used in the 1910s when the organization had just begun. Another program, American Boy Scouts (ABS), later known as United States Boy Scouts (USBS), was very similar in name and purpose as the BSA but with some crucial differences that tended to have a negative impact on the BSA just by affiliation.

The largest problem was the militant reputation the USBS gave the BSA. The BSA did not train their members in a militant style, although they did offer a badge in marksmanship. This badge was extremely downplayed when a boy from the USBS shot another boy with a rifle in 1912. The tragedy caused a lot of controversy for the BSA, and they did their best to completely separate themselves from the militant group. James E. West, the Chief Scout Executive of the BSA, even fought to prevent the USBS from using the word “scout/s.”

James E. West wants the USBS to stop using the word “scout”

Although the BSA did not train their members for future military service, it was easily confused as being militant because it was permitted to have uniforms that closely resembled the ones troops were wearing in WWI, but it was the only other organization, besides the National Guard and Naval Militia, that was granted that privilege. Despite the BSA having that distinction, the public was often confused between the BSA and USBS. As a result, James E. West reported that the USBS received funds from “prominent citizens,” who were “under the false impression that they were aiding the real Boy Scouts of America.” The BSA was actually selling war bonds and stamps at the time, not appealing for funds.

Read James E. West’s full statement regarding the issues between the BSA and USBS here and find out more about both programs in Fold3’s FBI Case Files.