Citizenship Day
For about 30 years from the early 1930s to the early 1960s, the Nashville Area/Middle Tennessee Council Scout participated in Citizenship Day. Citizenship Day culminated in Boy Scouts taking over the offices of various political offices, both local government and state government, for an hour to “govern” the state. Mayor and Governor were included and the boys to hold these posts were generally on the cusp of being voters themselves.
Citizenship Day took many forms over the decades. It was held variously on a Thursday or Friday in February (Boy Scout Week), April, or in September (Constitution Day is September 17). It could be a stand alone day or part of a larger community program that involved Boys Week, Girls Week, or Youth Week. When females and African American boys participated, they were usually denied the political posts, but had the opportunity to “take over” local schools, colleges, or businesses. For instance, an African American boy could be president of Fisk, Meharry, TSU, or a local bank. An event like this required numerous coordinators and famed OA Advisor served in this capacity for the Boy Scouts in 1961.
Seen here is Eagle Scout Billy Adams of Troop 15. He is sitting in for Department of Conservation Commissioner Howell Buntin, making this photo around 1948, though an exact date is not known.