Kenneth Speas Boy Scout

Kenneth - Star Scout

Kenneth

My Uncle Kenneth R. Speas belonged to Troop 31 of The Boy Scouts of America in which he earned at least the rank of Star as noted in the article on the left from The Post Register dated January 16, 1934. 

The following year, on May 21, 1935, the newspaper reported that Kenneth had been selected to attend the 1st National Jamboree scheduled to be held in August of that year in Washington DC. 

Kenneth Chosen to Attend

Can you imagine the excitement a sixteen year old boy from the tiny farming community of Woodville, Idaho, anticipating a trip to the nation's capitol with thirty thousand other Boy Scouts from around the United States? This event marking the 25th anniversary of scouting in America was touted to be the greatest gathering of boys on American soil.

Poster advertising the
1st National Jamboree

The very sad end to this tale is that an outbreak of polio early in the summer of 1935 caused the cancellation of the Jamboree.  The fear of the dread disease promoted the quarantine of the entire city of Annapolis, Maryland. 

The National Jamboree was rescheduled and held in the summer of 1937. I can only assume that Kenneth attended as we have photos of him in scouting attire at Mount Vernon.