Object No.19

The Scout Association was established in 1912, and sought to interest new people in Scouting. The obvious target was parents, and this leaflet, ‘Twelve good reasons why your Boy should become a Scout’ is part of that campaign.

One of the illustrative cartoons on the leaflet has the caption ‘You can’t make an A1 nation from C3 men’.

Anxieties about physical deterioration persisted after the First World War, as demonstrated by the launch of new pressure groups that aimed to transform Britain from a C3 to an A1 nation. The virtuous habits of the healthy and fit A1 citizen were juxtaposed with those of the C3 anti-citizen, whose undisciplined lifestyle was attributed to ignorance and lack of self-control. Practices such as sunbathing, hiking and keep-fit classes became mainstream activities and they were promoted in the National Government’s ‘National Fitness Campaign’ of the late 1930s. This leaflet was obviously picking up on this movement.