1925 Boy Scouts Master at Arms Badge

Discussion in 'Western Martial Arts' started by lklawson, May 6, 2008.

  1. lklawson

    lklawson Valued Member

    I have republished (free for download, as usual) the 1925 Boy Scouts Master at Arms Badge training booklet. Special thanks to Robert Reinberger of http://www.budoforum.net

    It is available at:
    http://stores.lulu.com/lawson

    Blurb follows:
    It has long been known that the Boy Scouts issued a Master at Arms Badge. In the United States, the Badge was retired in 1911. In various European nations the badge lives on and can be fulfilled with many great sports such as target shooting with firearms, Archery, or after-school Asian martial arts. However, in the mind of many western martial artists, it lives on as a pale shadow of its former self, consisting all too often of “a note from the boy’s Sensei saying, ‘yes, he attends class regularly’.”

    Ah, but in “the good old days,” when things were always so much better, the politicians representing the will of the people, the youth polite, and the grass greener, the Master at Arms Badge reflected a more western heritage by requiring, as it did, skill in any two of Singlestick, Fencing, Boxing, Quarterstaff, Ju Jitsu, Wrestling, or Gymnastics (with the most coveted text by WMA researchers being on Singlestick and Quarterstaff being).

    While myth, as usual, overshadows reality, it was with great excitement that I read the post by Robert Reinberger of http://www.budoforum.net when he made the 1925 English text available in raw scans. I am truly grateful that he has preserved the original text and subsequently gave me permission to republish.

    Peace favor your sword,
    Kirk
     
  2. Taffyleigh

    Taffyleigh Valued Member

    Funny you should mention this, one of the boys who comes to our junior classes was going for a badge (don't know if it was the same one) and he had to take his grading certificate in to his scout leader to gain the badge, i will have to find out if it is the same badge.
     
  3. lklawson

    lklawson Valued Member

    Good for the lad! :)

    Should be the same badge. appeals to emotionalism asside what appears to have happened is that the acceptable venues for Master at Arms was expanded to include anything from any culture that was (more or less) "Martial." This opened the doors for target shooting, sling-shotting, At'latle, etc. The book/requirements stating Singlestick, Boxing, Fencing, Quarterstaff, etc. was deprecated and largely forgotten, particularly because boys may now apply their time in Dojo/Dojang to the badge. Nothing wrong with that, mind you. However, I, personally, find it a bit sad that Quarterstaffing, et all, has been forgotten.

    Peace favor your sword,
    Kirk
     
  4. Taffyleigh

    Taffyleigh Valued Member

    My oldest daughter goes to Brownies and i was trying to find out if there was a self defence badge of some sort but apparently not, i think this would be a good badge for them to train for in modern society.
     
  5. Mano Mano

    Mano Mano Dirty Boxer

    Thanks I've been trying to track this book down for quite a while.
     
  6. adouglasmhor

    adouglasmhor Not an Objectivist

    I did boxing and field archery for mine in 1973. Our Scout Leader insisted that if you did this you did your first aider badge as well. With what we got up to he was probably right too.
     
  7. RAbid Hamster

    RAbid Hamster Herr Trubelmacher

    As a member of possibly the worst patrol ever in the history of the scouts (Wolf Patrol) going for a self defence badge would have been considered girlie as best. Patrol Leader Stinky S**** was someone who could pick a fight in an empty room. Wolf patrol v ??? fights at camp were common. Frankly it was a relief to quit the scouts and take up rugby ... I got hurt less!
     
  8. Polar Bear

    Polar Bear Moved on

    I grew up in Pollok in Glasgow a self defense badge was surplus to requirements. Both my father and grandfather were scout leaders. Age 7 I was given a knife and taught have to use it. Age 12 I was given the family knife and 1937 Bowie knife with scout emblem in the hilt. At 25 loans it to my brother who promptly lost it on a drunken camping expedition. You can imagine just how ****ed I was.

    The Bear.
     
  9. adouglasmhor

    adouglasmhor Not an Objectivist

    97th Glasgow (Wellfield) - Kestrel Patrol until I became Senior Patrol Leader. Incidents incleded pushing a local troop into an outdoor swimming pool at Templars Park Scout camp Near Aberdeen because they pushed one of our guys in, problem, they were only out for the day and had no change of clothes. Bringing Bikers back to Auchengillan from the Carbeth Inn to join our campfire. Stealing ponies then giving them to another scout group who then got caught by the head riding instructor. Performing blindfold spoon duelling as a stunt at a campfire. We were lovely children.
     
  10. RAbid Hamster

    RAbid Hamster Herr Trubelmacher

    at a major event... we were caught raiding the off limits guide camp and brought back to our camp in disgrace ... wish it had been for something 'naughty' but due to Stinkys total lack of organizational flair ... we were short in the food department (but oddly not in alcohol).
    We figured that girlies would:
    a) have extra food and
    b) have zero security (unlike the other scout patrols).
    We had the misfortune to run into a guide 'patrol' nearly as bad as wolf patrol in that they had bunked off healthy bracing exercise to smoke and drink.

    In later years this event grew to be the biggest wasted opportunity of my life. :bang:
     

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