Boy Scout Troop 4 (Sachems) (Lynn, Mass.) Records
Scope and Content Note
This collection consists of the records of Boy Scout Troop 4 (Sachems) of Lynn, Massachusetts, spanning from 1924 to 1945. Weekly meeting programs and reports, contained in record books, make up the bulk of the collection. The largest book of records, “Troop Minutes and Records July 26, 1926 to April 6, 1945” is divided into two folders. Years are separated within the book by title pages, often written on the backs of contemporary advertisements or flyers. Records of attendance and dues, financial records, rosters, correspondence, and news clippings are dispersed throughout meeting minutes and reports chronologically. Additional papers, including a General Eisenhower Waste Paper Campaign poster, appear after Part 2 of the records book, in Box 1, Folder 4.
Also included in the collection are newspaper clippings, Scout essays, drawings, forms, and certificates, correspondence, event and news bulletins, a photograph, and the American flag used by the troop, donated in 1988 by Cecil Weinstein. Box 1, Folder 1 contains Scouts’ applications to the Emergency Service Corps, which are restricted due to the inclusion of medical histories. In Box 1, Folder 5, some meeting minutes, written in pencil, are smudged and illegible.
Of note are mentions of the first national Scout jamboree in Washington, D.C. in 1937, including a description of a presentation on the event by attending Troop 4 Scouts. Also of note are numerous comments on the war in essays and meetings, and involvement in war-related activities during World War II.
Dates
- undated, 1924-1945
Creator
- Boy Scout Troop 4 (Sachems) (Lynn, Mass.) (Organization)
Language of Materials
The collection is in English.
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for researcher use. Please contact us to request access or to make an appointment to view this collection at jhcreference@nehgs.org.
Use Restrictions
There may be some restrictions on the use of this collection. For more information contact jhcreference@nehgs.org.
Historical Note
Boy Scout Troop 4 (Sachems) of Lynn, Massachusetts was organized in April 1924. Its dated records span from 1924 to 1945. The troop's first Scoutmaster was Abraham Gold. Harry Weiner (born circa 1905-1985) became Scoutmaster in 1925 and remained in the position through 1945. The Troop met approximately weekly during the school year, most often in the Lynn Hebrew School, which opened at 46 Blossom St., Lynn, MA in 1922 and closed in 1967. At least 141 boys in six patrols participated as Scouts in Troop 4 between 1924 and 1945, with an average of 25 Troop members at any one time.
The troop's activities consisted of regular hikes, often at Camp Nihan in Saugus, Massachusetts, or in Lynn Woods in Lynn, Massachusetts, community service at the Hebrew School, and participation in Boy Scout jamborees and rallies. During World War II, the Scouts also participated in an Emergency Service Corps, and were invited to participate in the Boy Scout-General Eisenhower Waste Paper Campaign. Sponsored by General Eisenhower, this two-month campaign, from March 1 to April 30, 1945, addressed a shortage of paper in the United States for making and packaging items for the armed forces. The campaign's goal was to acquire 150,000 tons of waste paper from Boy Scouts nationwide. A poster about the campaign is included in the collection.
At least two former troop members were killed in action during World War II, and a former troop member spoke to the troop about being stranded in a life boat on the Pacific in the Merchant Marines. Troop leaders who entered into military service are indicated by an asterisk in the List of Troop 4 Leaders in Box 1, Folder 2.
References
- Materials from the collection.
- "Lynn Hebrew School Final Commencement." 1967. Jewish Advocate (1909-1990), Jun 15, 1. http://search.proquest.com/docview/886867557?accountid=146466>.
- "Services for Harry Weiner." 1985. Jewish Advocate (1909-1990), Jun 20, 23. http://search.proquest.com/docview/870810665?accountid=146466>.
Chronology
- 1924
- Troop 4 organized; Abraham Gold is Scoutmaster
- 1925
- Harry Weiner becomes Scoutmaster
- 1927
- Troop holds first annual Parent Night
- 1930
- Troop fights forest fire in Lynn Woods
- 1936
- Members of troop blow taps over the grave of Harold Frank at its unveiling
- 1937
- Members of troop attend the First National Boy Scout Jamboree in D.C.
- 1943
- Troop visited by Herbert Weiner, Ensign in Merchant Marine and former Scout who was stranded on open life boat in the Pacific for 21 days
- 1944
- Two former Troop members, former scout Lt. Bernard Lipsky and former committeeman Maurice Goldstein, are killed in action
- 1945
- Troop invited to participate in the Boy Scout - General Eisenhower Waste Paper Campaign
Extent
1 linear feet (2 manuscript boxes)
Abstract
Organized in April, 1924, the records of Boy Scout Troop 4 (Sachems) of Lynn, Massachusetts span from 1924 to 1945. During World War II, the scouts participated in an Emergency Service Corps, and were invited to participate in the Boy Scout - General Eisenhower Waste Paper Campaign. The material in this collection includes weekly meeting programs and reports, newspaper clippings, scout assignments and certificates, correspondence, financial records, a photograph, and the American flag used by the Troop.
Physical Location
Located in Boston, Mass.
Acquisition Information
Donated by the Jewish Heritage Center of the North Shore in 2013.
Processing Information
Processed by Sophia Rehm, 2014
- Administrative records
- Boston (Mass.)
- Boy Scouts of America
- Boy Scouts of America. Bay Shore Council (Mass.)
- Brochures
- Camping
- Clippings (information artifacts)
- Correspondence
- Drawings (visual works)
- Education
- Essays
- Flags
- Gold, Abraham
- Goldstein, Maurice
- Hiking
- Kaplan, Joseph
- Lipsky, Bernard
- Lynn (Mass.)
- Merchant mariners
- National Scout Jamboree
- Photographs
- Posters
- Programs (documents)
- Reports
- Saugus (Mass.)
- Student activities
- United States. War Production Board
- Weiner, Harry
- Weiner, Herbert
- World Jamboree of Boy Scouts
- World War, 1939-1945
- Title
- Guide to the Boy Scout Troop 4 (Sachems) (Lynn, Mass.) Records, I-559
- Author
- Processed by Sophia Rehm
- Date
- 2014
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center at American Ancestors Repository