Radio and scouting have a long association, as shown by these two photos from 75 years ago this month, in the October 1940 issue of Boys’ Life
The first shows scout Edwin Parkerson of Troop 50, Houston, Texas, listening to music in this set he built to bring to camp. A scout is kind, and Parkerson undoubtedly let his friends take a turn listening shortly after this picture was taken.
Assuming he did share the headphones, it was probably good for a bit of karma. Sixteen years later, one Edwin Parkerson of Houston renewed his hospitalization insurance policy, but due, no doubt, to some little mix-up, the premium check bounced. The insurance company apparently put the check through a second time without incident. But during the intervening time, Mr. Parkerson’s wife was taken to the hospital, and the insurance company claimed that the policy wasn’t in effect and denied coverage. The Texas Court of Civil Appeals ruled that the policy was in effect. Parkerson v. American Hospital Life Ins. Co., 322 S.W.2d 26 (Tex. Civ. App. 1959).
While scout Parkerson was listening to the radio through headphones, the scouts in Nashville were probably getting ready to build a loudspeaker set, since they’re shown here getting some pointers from the staff of WSM. The caption reports that nearly a hundred Nashville scouts had formed a radio patrol, and were getting technical lessons from the station’s technical staff.
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