SECOND EDITION HANDBOOKS

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Printing: 3,000,000 Copies / Pages: 488
Cover Art: J. C. Leyendecker
Author: Various Authors

The 2nd Edition of the Handbook for Boys, published in 1914, continued the color change trend to a degree that is maddening to collectors!  No fewer than 27 distinct printings were issued.  Referred to as "Editions" on their title page, but actually more correctly "Printings."  Note that in the first issues, the scout is making one of the few positions in Semaphore code that means nothing whatsoever.  He is also signaling with Morse Code flags.  The knot was missing below the first class emblem, and uniform insignia were improperly placed.  It took the artist till 1921 to get all of the details right.

It resembled the 1st Edition in content and organization. However, World War I was erupting in Europe, so the book contained a reassuring note for parents who feared Scouting was designed mainly to train their sons to become soldiers: "The Boy Scout movement neither promotes nor discourages military training, its chief concern being the development of character and personal efficiency of teen-age boys."

Scouting's emphasis on the conservation of natural resources became evident in the 2nd Edition.  William T. Hornaday, director of the Bronx Zoo in New York City, railed against indiscriminate killing of wildlife, arguing that "Not one tree should be cut down, not one bird, mammal, or fish should be killed, without a reason so good that it fully justifies the act."

SPECIAL FEATURE:  1926 Handbook Illustrations
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