1960 Boy Scout Handbook ADVERTISEMENTS: Part 6

Give a Boy Scout a fishing pole and he can feed himself for life.

Give him a Harley and you can kiss that Eagle Scout goodbye.

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Now just imagine you could go 100 miles on a gallon of gas on one of these little beauties. Let's say gas cost 15 to 20 cents a gallon when this ad was run. Do you want to even imagine how far you could go on what you currently pay to fill your tank each week?

As to this Cushman scooter ad..."road-ability" is a word? What dictionary were they using?

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And I'm not quite sure they've explained how a scout would make extra money if they bought one of these, but from what I read at Wikipedia I'm guessing parking meter attendant or ice cream sales might be possible.

The Cushman company started in 1903 in Lincoln, Nebraska, by Everett and Clinton Cushman. The company incorporated as Cushman Motor Works in 1913.[1] Until 1936 it produced engines for farm equipment, pumps, lawn mowers and boats. From 1936 until 1965 Cushman produced motor scooters, widely used by the US military in World War II and as alternative to automobiles before and after the war. One famous Cushman was the model 53, a military model from the WWII era. Designed to be dropped by parachute with Army Airborne troops, it became known as the Cushman Airborne. Other models were used on military bases for messenger service. The most successful model of Cushman scooter, the Eagle, was in production approximately 16 years. It resembled a motorcycle with its exposed engine and top tank. Other Cushman models used a step-through design common for scooters. The step-through design and ease of operation made it popular with men and women alike. Some late 50s Cushmans, designated Road King and Pacemaker, had jet-age body styling. Sears sold a version of these models under the Allstate brand. Cushman scooters featured an automatic centrifugal clutch, which allowed the rider to twist the right grip to accelerate. Oddly, the throttle twisted forward during acceleration, opposite the usual pattern in most other motorcycles and scooters. Cushman claimed 75 miles per gallon, and advertised penny-a-mile operating cost. Cushman scooters usually weighed about 250 to 335 pounds and had as much as 9 horsepower (6.7 kW). Scooter production ended in 1965, but some remaining Eagles were sold as 1966 models. After scooter production ceased, Cushman manufactured golf carts, industrial vehicles and turf maintenance equipment.

Cushman Trucksters were produced from 1958 to 2002. Small and light duty, they have been used for ice cream sales, mall and stadium maintenance, and by police for parking patrol. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)

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1960 Boy Scout Handbook ADVERTISEMENTS: Part 5

Use a Kodak, earn a badge. I'd have enjoyed getting that badge.

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This is another ad from the 1960 Boy Scout Handbook.

The camera below belonged to my grandmother.

To see more vintage Kodak ads visit Tattered and Lost Vernacular Photography and click on one of the following labels: Kodak advertisement, Kodak.

1960 Boy Scout Handbook ADVERTISEMENTS: Part 4

As a Boy Scout you never know what type of support you'll need.

Surely you'll need a reliable motor so you aren't left stranded alone in the middle of a lake as the sun goes down and the wolves start howling and you realize all you brought along, other than your fishing gear, was a flashlight which has batteries about to die, no sweater, and you're wishing you hadn't eaten that bologna sandwich at 9:30 in the morning. You're still trying to get a grasp on the whole "be prepared" motto.

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Johnson Outboards

Johnson Outboards was a US based manufacturer of outboard motors. The original company to make Johnson inboard motors and outboard motors was the Johnson Bros. Motor Company of Terre Haute, Indiana, United States. A few years after the Johnson brothers' factory in Terre Haute was destroyed by a tornado in March 1913, the brothers relocated to South Bend, Indiana and then Waukegan, Illinois. The company was first acquired by Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC) and then later by Bombardier Recreational Products.

Today

Bombardier Recreational Products no longer sells outboards under the Johnson brand, as they have moved all sales entirely to Evinrude Outboard Motors. They support existing Johnson outboard motors through servicing and parts. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)

To see an old Johnson Sea-Horse neon sign click here.

But at least a particular part of your body will stay warmer through the cold long night.

The jockstrap was invented in 1874 by C. F. Bennett of a Chicago sporting goods company, Sharp & Smith, to provide comfort and support for bicycle jockeys riding the cobblestone streets of Boston. In 1897 Bennett's newly-formed Bike Web Company patented and began mass-producing the Bike Jockey Strap. The Bike Web Company later became known as the Bike Company. Today, Bike is still the market leader in jockstrap sales. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)

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1960 Boy Scout Handbook ADVERTISEMENTS: Part 3

More ads from the 1960 Boy Scout Handbook.

This one seems a little on the odd side. They make a point in the copy of saying that the "forged head just can't fly off" but then they name this thing the "Jet Rocket Scout Axe." Am I missing something here? Was it helpful to have you thinking this thing was going to take off into space and then cover their butts by saying "can't fly off"?

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Click on the "Boy Scout" label below to see previous scouting posts.

1960 Boy Scout Handbook ADVERTISEMENTS: Part 2

The one thing advertised over and over again in the Boy Scout handbook are guns. Lots of rifles. I think a total of 7 ads.

A reader of yesterday's post asked if I knew if the Boy Scouts sold anything like the Girl Scouts selling cookies. I can't think of anything. Anyone ever hear of Boy Scouts going door to door selling something?

Ever hear of the Winchester Mystery house built by Sarah Winchester? If not, you might be interested in reading about how some of the Winchester fortune was spent by clicking here.

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1960 Boy Scout Handbook ADVERTISEMENTS: Part 1

My last post was about the 1960 Boy Scout Handbook. I mentioned I'd be featuring some ads from the book. There are a total of over 40 ads so sit back and go Scout shopping. One particular item will show up over and over again, but not on the first spread.

Remember, items are for honest and trustworthy Scouts only.

Click on the "Boy Scout" label below to see previous scouting posts. Or click on "Coca-Cola" or "Coca Cola" to see vintage Coke ads.

And visit Tattered and Lost Vernacular Photography to see some old scouting photos from Scotland.

1960 BOY SCOUT HANDBOOK

This weeks Sepia Saturday theme is scouting. What better time to show some images from the 1960 Boy Scout Handbook? I bought this book at a used store in Burbank a very long time ago and probably paid no more than a dollar. It's a wonderful book with a Norman Rockwell piece on the cover.

Following are the front and back cover of the book along with some interior spreads. I will be featuring more of the book in the coming weeks, including some of the vintage ads.

And to see some vintage scouting photos visit my Tattered and Lost Photography site.

Click on any image to see it larger.

In 1981 the band Oingo Boingo (who used to put on great live shows) released an album called Only a Lad thats cover parodied the Rockwell handbook cover.