Cub Scouts come to Eureka

Remember being a Cub Scout? Does it hold pleasant memories for you? Normally, it is an enjoyable time for young boys. And Cub Scouting came to Eureka County in 1946.

As reported in the April 27, 1946 issue of the Eureka Sentinel, “Cub Scouting is bringing thousands of dads and young sons together throughout the country. Eureka sons are ready and anxious for cubbing. Their mothers are behind them.”

A meeting was to be held on April 30 to set up the program. The Sentinel article reported, “Many of us realize already that the home ranks first as character influencer. Certainly, our religious leaders have stressed it over and over again. “Toward the home” is the first principle in cubbing. That is why, now that mothers are sponsoring cub scouting in Eureka, one must also appeal to fathers. With both mothers and fathers joining in this younger-boy movement, the “toward the home” principle becomes established.”

The Sentinel story noted that, “Mrs. Stanley Feitler, President of the Eureka Mothers Club announced that the Mother’s Club had studied the program and feels that it will be able to assume full responsibilities for effective sponsorship of the Cub Pack.”

From official records, as early as 1911, Ernest Thompson Seton of Connecticut had developed a prototype program he named Cub Scouts of America. But it was never implemented.

Some leaders of the Boy Scouts felt that have a younger division (those under 12; the “younger boy problem”) would draw away boys from the core program, which was Scout troops focused on the 12 to 17-year-old age group; and opposed such an additional move for some time. In spite of this, unofficial programs for younger boys started around this time, under names such as Junior Troops or Cadet Corps. The BSA obtained the rights to Lord Baden-Powell’s The Wolf Cub Handbook in 1916 and used it in unofficial Wolf Cub programs starting in 1918.

In 1930, the BSA started the Cub Scout program. As it spread around the nation, it came to Eureka in 1946 and the May 4 issue of the Sentinel reported, “a Cub Scout Troop was organized at the April 30 meeting.” Rex King was chosen as Cub Scout Master and Keith Staley as Assistant Cub Master.

The Eureka Mother’s Club changed their name to the Eureka Community Club.