Boy Rangers of America
| Boy Rangers of America | |||
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| Age range | 8—15 years | ||
| Headquarters | New York City | ||
| Country | United States | ||
| Founded | January 24, 1913 | ||
| Founder | Emerson Brooks | ||
| Chief Guide | Emerson Brooks | ||
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The Boy Rangers of America was a Scouting program in the United States for boys ages 8 through 12. It was organized on January 24, 1913 in Montclair, New Jersey by Emerson Brooks. Although independent of the Boy Scouts of America, it was the precursor of the BSA's Cubbing program now known as Cub Scouting.
Trusty Tommy is a Ranger
Loyal true to every test,
Helpful to the needy stranger
Friendly, giving of his best.
Courteous to the girls he knows
Kind, a good turn every day
Obedient to his parents, too,
Cheerful, both in work and play
Thrifty, saving for a need
Brave, and not a faker
Clean in thought, in speech and deed
Reverent to his Maker.
As early as 1911, Ernest Thompson Seton, the Chief Scout of the BSA, had developed a program for the Boy Scouts of America named Cub Scouts of America that was never implemented. Chief Scout Executive James E. West felt that having BSA programs for younger boys under 12 would draw away boys from the core Scouting program. Unofficial programs for younger boys started around this time, under names such as Junior Troops or Cadet Corps.
Emerson Brooks, a Boy Scout commissioner, started the Boy Rangers in 1913 and it came to the attention of the BSA. West encouraged further formation of the Boy Rangers of America, as an organization separate from the BSA, and they were incorporated in New York on March 6, 1918.
Boy Rangers were organized as a tribe of eight boys and an adult; up to six tribes would form a lodge. Rank levels were Paleface, Papoose, Brave, Hunter, Warrior and Hi-Pa-Nac. The programs used American Indian themes and the Great Laws were based on the BSA version of the Scout Law. The official publication was the magazine The Boy Ranger.
The BSA obtained the rights to Baden-Powell's The Wolf Cub Handbook in 1916 and used it in unofficial Wolf Cub programs starting in 1918. The BSA finally began some experimental Cubbing units in 1928 and in 1930 the BSA began registering the first Cubbing packs. Many Boy Ranger lodges converted to Cubbing and the Indian themes of the Boy Rangers were incorporated into early Cubbing programs.
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