Found this old Boy Scout Handbook from 1963 a few years ago.
Originally titled The Official Handbook for Boys, it was first published in 1910 and written by Earnest Thompson Seton. He based his version of the handbook on Baden-Powell’s Scouting for Boys. There have been 12 editions and 3 more authors since the first printing. Mine is the 6th edition written by William “Green Bar Bill” Hillcourt. He was a scouting legend.
As you can see, it belonged to Larry E. Carnaher. I Googled him. No results.
If anyone knows him, tell him that I have his book.
I had forgotten that Normal Rockwell did the cover illustration. But, who else could have? I think it’s perfect.
When Norman Rockwell was 19 years old he was made the Art Editor for the Boy Scouts scouting magazine A Boy’s Life. It was here that he had his first published magazine cover. He contributed annually to the Boy Scouts calendar between 1925 and 1976, and in 1939 was awarded the The Silver Buffalo Award from the Scouts; the highest adult award they offer.
The cover isn’t nearly this beautiful anymore. There’s a raft full of multi-racial (but still Christian) Scouts, a bald eagle head, and some of the American flag.
Inside are all the instructions to be a well-rounded young man that I remembered.
Preparing for Scout service……
Tracking Animals…..
Identifying animals…..
Setting up a camp site.
Learning to swim…..
Merit badges….
The most important lesson, Becoming a man……..
My brothers and I were all Scouts. We join the ranks of some pretty great men; Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Sam Walton, Bill Gates, and Neil Armstrong.
The Boy Scout’s lessons of honesty, working within a group dynamic, and always striving to do your very best have followed me my entire life.
I took my copy of this book on hikes, campouts, pretty much daily to school, and it was with me anytime there was an outdoor fire involved.
I remember reading this book to the point of duct taping the spine together when I was a kid.
Larry was much more gentle with his copy. Not a single dog-ear.
THE CAVENDER DIARY 
I love the 50’s-era illustrations, somewhat like those of the Dick + Jane books. Norman Rockwell was not held in high esteeem by my college Art professors. Something about illustration v.s. fine Art.
Re: books with duct tape — I have an on old baseball history book that is in shreds but which still has a prominent place in the Kay household.
No mention of Madonna?
K A Y
Rockwell never claimed to be anything BUT an illustrator. His drawings will forever represent the idealic American life of the 20th century. More than any other artist of the past 100 years…..No doubt.
We have my husband’s old scout book from the 60s–he used to take my boys out backpacking from the time they were 6 and the scouting book was always w/ my youngest son.. We laugh that he learned to read w/ that old boy scout handbook–wouldn’t trade that grimy old well loved book for the world!!!!
Kathi, that is soooo charming, consider framing it for him as a gift when he graduates college.
I have been looking at this book and am wondering if the name is Larry E. Carnahan. I googled that name and actually got some results.
Love your blog and love your style!
Hi Terry, he wrote his name inside too, and I think you could be right.
It’s a great book, lots of rifle adds in the back though….hhhmm
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