Have you heard of the Lone Scouts? It was a brother organization to the Boy Scouts.
Boy Scouts founder William Boyce realized there were many rural boys who could not join the Boy Scouts as they were miles from a troop. So, he created the Lone Scouts of America in 1915.
Their scouting was done by correspondence and on an honor basis without adult supervision.
Boyce’s original Lone Scout organization failed financially in 1924, but an alumni organization took its place three years later. It lasted for nearly seventy years.
The members kept things humming between annual conventions by writing, mailing, and receiving newsletters. These publications had names like The Friendly Provoker or The Old Timer.
To learn more about the Lone Scouts, visit UW’s American Heritage Center.