Green Bar Bill Excluded from National Scouting Museum

[Reasonable Rascal]

The place to get him recognized would be the Danish American Immigrant Museum in Elk Horn, Iowa. Bill was after all a Danish immigrant. National would have zero say in the matter.

 

RR

[David Mitchell]

Really interesting to read this thread folks as a non US scouter. The lack of a UK museum is very sad to me although the archives at Gilwell have some great stuff. I did a little research on Kenneth McLaren - the good friend of BP and the first Scouter - this guy was pivotal to BP and scouting. There has been some hint about the relationship between him and BP over the years. Not sure if its this or a general lack of interest in Scouting history but its like some of these early pioneers never existed. I found his grave on a wild hillside in the Highlands - practically falling over and unloved. No interest from Scouting media about a piece on him - from UK Scouting or BSA ! As a movement we should be forward looking but you forget where you come from at you peril..... Scouting is booming in the UK and Scotland in particular and I think its because we have stopped trying to be a bloody youth club like we did in the 90's and are now looking both ways. My troop push bushcraft and woodcraft hard and the kids love it.

 

http://scoutinghistory.wordpress.com

 

[Scouter99]

On the one hand: Of course it's a huge hole in the museum's mission to exclude GB. On the other; how many people go to the museum? I'm keenly interested in BSA's history, and I have no intentions to go to the trouble or expense within the next 5 years, maybe ever. How many fewer youth members will go?

BSA has never leveled on the facts of their history, from Seton's originating the patrol method and BP's plagiarizing it, to the Scout in the Fog myth. So, it's no big surprise that GB got himself written out of history by trying to stand opposed to the march of time.

 

The recourse is obvious: Offer the Scouting Heritage MB often, and include Greenbar in your Req 3 discussion on the evolution of Scouting's programs. I already use the MB to emphasize Seton and Beard over BP and Boyce.

And, add non-BSA histories like Men of Schiff and The Scouting Party to your troop library.

[Kahuna]

On the one hand: Of course it's a huge hole in the museum's mission to exclude GB. On the other; how many people go to the museum? I'm keenly interested in BSA's history, and I have no intentions to go to the trouble or expense within the next 5 years, maybe ever. How many fewer youth members will go?

BSA has never leveled on the facts of their history, from Seton's originating the patrol method and BP's plagiarizing it, to the Scout in the Fog myth. So, it's no big surprise that GB got himself written out of history by trying to stand opposed to the march of time.

 

The recourse is obvious: Offer the Scouting Heritage MB often, and include Greenbar in your Req 3 discussion on the evolution of Scouting's programs. I already use the MB to emphasize Seton and Beard over BP and Boyce.

And, add non-BSA histories like Men of Schiff and The Scouting Party to your troop library.

I think a lot of people go to the museum. I hear from visitors all the time. Wish I could convince them to include GBB in their exhibits, but so far . . .

[mselber]

I am very sad to hear about Bill's exclusion - you all know him as Green Bar Bill, I knew him as Uncle Bill. His wife, Grace, was my grandfather's sister. I have great memories of visiting them in New Jersey as a child. Bill spent many a holiday at our house and I enjoyed hearing all the stories. Scouting was his life and it's a shame scouting tossed him out.

[Kahuna]

Welcome to the forum, mselber! I'm envious of your relationship with Bill. He was a man who truly devoted his life to Scouting. We will eventually get him properly recognized. Every time I post on my Facebook page about him, I get tons of responses from people who met him or wish they had met him.

[packsaddle]

While I was reading through the other thread on Hillcourt, I remembered this one. Is he still excluded? Anyone know?

[Gone]

While I was reading through the other thread on Hillcourt, I remembered this one. Is he still excluded? Anyone know?

 

Visited Dallas last year to see family. He wasn't in there then.

[NJCubScouter]

Evidently Green Bar Bill was a victim of "office politics," which is sad for someone who gave so much of his life to help Scouting.  But unfortunately not too much of a surprise.

[Eagle94-A1]

Evidently Green Bar Bill was a victim of "office politics," which is sad for someone who gave so much of his life to help Scouting.  But unfortunately not too much of a surprise.

 

Right now, I'm willing to bet 75%+ of the folks at national became DEs in the Improved Scouting Program period. Maybe, just maybe, with the new generation of national leaders who became DEs in the 9th edition BSHB period, things will change.

 

"There's always hope...a fool's hope." Gandalf the White.