American scouting leader (1900?1992)
William Hillcourt
|
---|
Hillcourt
(L)
and Lord Robert Baden-Powell
(R)
, at Hillcourt Cottage, Schiff Scout Reservation, on July 15, 1935
|
Born
| Vilhelm Hans Bjerregaard Jensen
August 6, 1900
|
---|
Died
| November 9, 1992 (aged 92)
|
---|
Resting place
| St. Joseph's Cemetery,
Mendham, New Jersey
, United States
|
---|
Nationality
| Danish, American
|
---|
Occupation
| Scouter
|
---|
Employer
| Boy Scouts of America
|
---|
Known for
| First
U.S. Wood Badge
course director, author including
Boy Scout Handbook
,
Boy Scout Fieldbook
,
Patrol Leaders Handbook
, and articles for
Boys' Life
and
Scouting
magazines.
|
---|
Spouse
| Grace Brown
|
---|
Parent(s)
| Johannes Hans Bjerregaard Jensen
Andrea Christine (nee Pedersen)
|
---|
Awards
| Knight-Scout, Denmark (1918)
Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
(1978)
Silver Buffalo Award
(1980)
Bronze Wolf Award
(1985)
|
---|
|
|
William Hillcourt
(August 6, 1900
[
citation needed
]
? November 9, 1992), known within the
Scouting
movement as "
Green Bar Bill
", was an influential leader in the
Boy Scouts of America
(BSA) organization from 1927 to 1992.
[1]
Hillcourt was a prolific writer and teacher in the areas of woodcraft, troop and patrol structure, and training; his written works include three editions of the BSA's official
Boy Scout Handbook
, with over 12.6 million copies printed, other Scouting-related books and numerous magazine articles. Hillcourt developed and promoted the American adaptation of the
Wood Badge
adult Scout leader training program.
Hillcourt was Danish but moved to the United States as a young adult. From his start in Danish Scouting in 1910 until his death in 1992, he was continuously active in Scouting. He traveled all over the world teaching and training both
Scouts
and
Scouters
, earning many of Scouting's highest honors. His legacy and influence can still be seen today in the BSA program and in Scouting training manuals and methods for both youth and adults.
Personal life
[
edit
]
Hillcourt was born in 1900 in
Aarhus
, Denmark and was the youngest of three sons of a building contractor. He was given the name Vilhelm Hans Bjerregaard Jensen. Around 1930, he changed his name by anglicizing "Vilhelm", translating "Bjerregaard" into "Hill-court" and dropping "Jensen". His first published work was a poem about trolls and elves, printed by an Aarhus newspaper when he was nine years old.
[1]
For Christmas 1910, Hillcourt's brother gave him a Danish translation of
Scouting for Boys
by
Baden-Powell
, the founder of the
Scout movement
. He went on to earn the highest award in Danish Scouting, Knight-Scout in 1918,
[2]
at age 17. He was selected to represent his troop at the
1st World Scout Jamboree
in
Olympia
in 1920 where he first met Baden-Powell, with whom he was later to work.
[3]
[4]
While Hillcourt studied
pharmacy
in Copenhagen, he became more involved in Scouting. As a
Scout leader
, he became a Scoutmaster, national instructor, writer and then the editor for the Danish Scouting journal. He wrote his first book,
The Island
, recounting his early Scouting experiences.
[4]
After deciding to experience Scouting around the world and to return home with the best ideas, Hillcourt worked his way through Europe and England and then arrived in the United States in February 1926.
[5]
He was soon hired by the BSA's national office and worked for the BSA until he retired as a professional Scouter in 1965.
[6]
In 1933 Hillcourt married Grace Brown, the personal secretary of
Chief Scout Executive
James E. West
.
[4]
Scouting career
[
edit
]
Hillcourt worked at a BSA camp at Bear Mountain in
Harriman State Park
, New York, in 1926 where he became an instructor in
American Indian
dance.
[5]
[7]
He then worked for the BSA Supply Division where he broke his leg when a crate fell on him. He met James West while riding in an elevator at the national office.
[8]
West solicited Hillcourt's thoughts on Scouting in the U.S. Hillcourt later sent West an 18-page memo detailing issues with the lack of patrol structure and leadership. He recommended that the BSA write a handbook for patrol leaders, and that it needed to be written by someone who had been both a patrol leader and a
Scoutmaster
. West hired Hillcourt as a writer and editor and was later persuaded to commission Hillcourt to write the first
Handbook for Patrol Leaders
which was published in 1929.
[4]
From 1932 until his retirement in 1965, Hillcourt was a major contributor to
Boys' Life
, the magazine for Scouting youth. Each monthly issue included a page on advancement and
Scoutcraft
, outdoor Scouting skills, and included his signature superimposed over the two green bars that are the emblem of the patrol leader, which led to his moniker "Green Bar Bill" and its adoption as the logo of his regular
Boys' Life
column.
[1]
[4]
Hillcourt was tasked to write a new manual for Scoutmasters in 1934 and worked with his good friend and colleague
E. Urner Goodman
, the national program director of the BSA. He and his wife moved to a house in Mendham Borough, New Jersey, to be near Schiff Scout Reservation,
[9]
the BSA's national training center, so he could be in place to put his theories to a practical test. In order to do so, he founded Troop 1 of Mendham in 1935 as a unit directly chartered to the National Council of the BSA. As the Scoutmaster, he used Troop 1 to test and validate his work for 16 years.
[6]
The Baden-Powells visited Schiff in 1935 and began a steadfast friendship with the Hillcourts. Baden-Powell died in 1941. After
World War II
, Baden-Powell's widow,
Olave Baden-Powell
, allowed Hillcourt to edit
Aids to Scoutmastership
into the World Brotherhood Editions to help the Scouting movement recover from the war. She then allowed Hillcourt access to Baden-Powell's letters, diaries and sketchbooks when she and Hillcourt co-authored the narrative biography of Baden-Powell,
Baden-Powell: The Two Lives of a Hero
.
[4]
[10]
[11]
The BSA national office moved from New York City to
North Brunswick, New Jersey
, in 1954, and the Hillcourts moved with it. He completed the sixth edition of the
Boy Scout Handbook
in time for the BSA's 50th anniversary in 1960.
[12]
Wood Badge
[
edit
]
To encourage the creation of
Rovering
in the U.S.,
J. S. Wilson
travelled from the UK to oversee a
Wood Badge
course in May 1936 at Schiff. Hillcourt was a participant in that first course and four days later, he was the senior patrol leader for the second course. He received his Wood Badge beads in 1939 and was appointed as the deputy camp director for Wood Badge. After
World War II
, Wood Badge was revived and Hillcourt was the Scoutmaster for a test course begun on July 31, 1948, at Schiff and the first standard course at
Philmont Scout Ranch
. As the national director of training, Hillcourt wore five Wood Badge beads, a tradition that has been discontinued in the U.K. Scout Association, however other countries still continue the use of the five Wood Badge Beads and are still worn by the National Volunteer Leader of Wood Badge Training of each country as well as by special decree of Gilwell Park today.
[13]
[14]
Later life
[
edit
]
Hillcourt retired from the BSA on August 1, 1965. In 1971, he and Grace finally completed the world tour he had started in 1926; along the way they attended the
13th World Scout Jamboree
in
Fujinomiya, Japan
. Grace Hillcourt died in 1973.
[5]
Rather than live alone, Bill moved into the home of his good friends Carson and Martha Buck.
The BSA had introduced the "Improved Scouting Program" in 1972, along with a new edition of the
Boy Scout Handbook
.
[15]
Many of the changes were intended to expand Scouting to a broader base of youth and to make Scouting more "in tune with the times".
[3]
Many Scouters, including Hillcourt, were critical of the new program changes, exclaiming that the de-emphasis on traditional outdoor skills had taken the "outing out of Scouting".
[1]
This change proved to be unsuccessful, deterring existing adherents and attracting relatively few new enrolments. To remedy this situation, Hillcourt convinced Chief Scout Executive
Harvey L. Price
that a new handbook was needed. Hillcourt then came out of retirement and spent a year writing and editing the 1979 edition of
The Official Boy Scout Handbook
, returning to the focus of Scoutcraft.
[1]
In addition, he helped to develop the
All Out for Scouting
program that launched the return to the old standards.
[3]
Hillcourt was regarded as a prominent figure and guide in BSA's recovery from its experiment earlier in that decade.
Hillcourt was recognized for his service to youth by the BSA with the
Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
on May 19, 1978.
[2]
[note 1]
In 1980, the BSA presented Hillcourt with their highest national honor, the
Silver Buffalo Award
and he was cited as "The Voice of Scouting".
[16]
The World Scout Committee of the
World Organization of the Scout Movement
recognized him for exceptional services to world Scouting in 1985 with the
Bronze Wolf Award
. In the same year, an article in the
Scouting
magazine proclaimed Hillcourt as "the foremost influence on development of the Boy Scouting program."
[1]
In the last 12 months of 1985, he traveled to Dallas, Washington, Knoxville, Houston, San Francisco, Cleveland, Los Angeles, and other cities. He also attended the
World Conference
held for the first time in Germany, an
inter-American scout conference
in Brazil (with side trips to Argentina
[17]
and Paraguay). He served as scoutmaster in the Wood Badge program
[18]
for "South Explorers Leaders and Center ?Leadership Course in Troop",
[19]
He ended his trip to South America in Caracas, Venezuela.
[20]
He also was Troop Head and Director of the Field-School "Paramacay".
[21]
To celebrate during the month of August his 85 years of age with his old friends explorers in Copenhagen, Denmark. And then, of course, in the middle of the times, he continued to camp in the different events that took place during his campaign and did not fail to make a presence with his uninterrupted record, with the
Jamboree
. In 1990 he also became a member of
Firecrafter
, an American Scouting service organization. Travel and appearances at Scouting events both local and worldwide were part of his routine until he died, for which he was referred to as
Scoutmaster to the World
.
[4]
Hillcourt died at the age of 92, in
Stockholm, Sweden
, while traveling on a Scouting tour with Carson Buck on November 9, 1992. He is buried with his wife Grace in St. Joseph's Cemetery (Row 8, Block I) in
Mendham Borough, New Jersey
, United States. The grave lies within the geographic scope of the Patriots Path Council near
Schiff Scout Reservation
at coordinates
40°46′32″N
74°36′09″W
/
40.7755°N 74.6024°W
/
40.7755; -74.6024
, where he lived for many years. His legacy in Scouting and his influence continue in the programs and training of Scouting.
[22]
[23]
His writings are still used within the Scouting movement and his material continues to be reprinted in Scouting magazine.
[24]
The
Longhouse Council
operates the William Hillcourt Scout Museum and Carson Buck Memorial Library at Camp Woodland in New York to "keep the traditions of Scouting alive" through the preservation of the history that is a foundation for today's Scouting movement.
[25]
Works
[
edit
]
Hillcourt was one of the BSA's most prolific writers. He wrote numerous articles for
Boys' Life
and
Scouting
magazines, including a column aimed at patrol leaders under the by-line of "Patrol Leader Green Bar Bill". At least 12,610,000 copies of his three editions of the
Boy Scout Handbook
were printed.
[12]
[26]
- (1925)
The Island
- (1929)
Handbook for Patrol Leaders
- (1933)
The 1933 Scout Jamboree Book
with
James E. West
[27]
- (1936)
Handbook for Scoutmasters
, Third edition in two volumes
- (1946)
Aids to Scoutmastership
, World Brotherhood Edition, by Baden-Powell, revised by Hillcourt
- (1946)
Scouting for Boys
, World Brotherhood Edition, by Baden-Powell, revised by Hillcourt
- (1948)
Scout Fieldbook
, First edition, with West
- (1950)
Handbook for Patrol Leaders
;
[28]
World Brotherhood Edition
- (1959)
Boy Scout Handbook
, Sixth edition
[26]
- (1961)
Field Book of Nature Activities and Conservation: An Indispensable Guide for Nature Lovers
- (1964)
Baden-Powell: The Two Lives of a Hero
;
[10]
biography of
Baden-Powell
- (1965)
Boy Scout Handbook
, Seventh edition
[26]
- (1967)
Handbook for Patrol Leaders
, Second edition (heavily edited revision)
- (1967)
Physical Fitness for Boys
- (1967)
Physical Fitness for Girls
- (1968)
Your Guide to Fitness
- (1970)
New Field Book of Nature Activities & Hobbies
- (1970)
Fun With Nature Hobbies
- (1971)
The Golden Book of Camping
- (1975)
Outdoor Things To Do: Year-round Nature Fun for Girls and Boys
- (1977)
Norman Rockwell's World of Scouting
;
[29]
biography of iconic illustrator
Norman Rockwell
- (1979)
The Official Boy Scout Handbook
, Ninth edition
[26]
[30]
- (1980)
The Official Patrol Leader Handbook
, Third edition
[31]
See also
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
When or if Hillcourt earned the Eagle Scout Award is uncertain. The official BSA DESA list shows that Hillcourt earned Eagle Scout in 1918?the year he earned Knight-Scout in Denmark?but he did not arrive in the U.S. until 1926.
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
Peterson, Robert
(September 1985). "Bill Hillcourt?Still Going Strong on the Scouting Trail".
Scouting
: 26.
- ^
a
b
"Distinguished Eagle Scout Award"
(PDF)
. Boy Scouts of America. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on March 12, 2016
. Retrieved
July 21,
2010
.
- ^
a
b
c
Peterson, Robert (January?February 2001).
"America's Best-Known Scouter"
.
Scouting
.
Archived
from the original on May 13, 2008
. Retrieved
February 3,
2008
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
Block, Nelson (1993).
"William Hillcourt 'Scoutmaster to the World'
"
.
The Journal of Scouting History
.
Archived
from the original on May 11, 2008
. Retrieved
February 3,
2008
.
- ^
a
b
c
Howerton, Terry.
"Scoutmaster to the World"
. Scouter.com. Archived from
the original
on February 25, 2008
. Retrieved
February 3,
2008
.
Includes "The Life of a Serendipitist", an autobiographical sketch by William Hillcourt.
- ^
a
b
Holleran, Robin Suerig (October 2006).
"Green Bar Bill's Own Troop"
.
Scouting
.
Archived
from the original on 2008-03-01.
- ^
van Gelder, Lawrence (February 4, 1979).
"A Work of Love for 'Boy Scout,' 78"
(PDF)
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
February 4,
2008
.
- ^
Rowan, Edward L.
(2005).
James E. West and the History of the Boy Scouts of America
. Las Vegas International Scouting Museum.
ISBN
0-9746479-1-8
.
- ^
"William Hillcourt, A Boy Scout Writer And Columnist, 92"
.
The New York Times
. Associated Press. November 14, 1992.
Archived
from the original on December 29, 2012
. Retrieved
February 19,
2008
.
- ^
a
b
Hillcourt, William; Baden-Powell, Olave (1964).
Baden-Powell: The Two Lives of a Hero
. Irving, Texas: Boy Scouts of America.
ISBN
0-8395-3594-5
.
- ^
Walker, Johnny.
"Bibliography"
. "Johnny Walker's" Scouting Milestones.
Archived
from the original on October 4, 2013
. Retrieved
February 18,
2008
.
- ^
a
b
"History of the Boy Scout Handbook"
.
Troop 97
.
Archived
from the original on February 15, 2008
. Retrieved
February 6,
2008
.
- ^
"
'Green Bar Bill' and Wood Badge"
.
Wood Badge history
. Archived from
the original
on March 3, 2008
. Retrieved
February 6,
2008
.
- ^
Walker, Johnny.
"The origins of the Wood Badge"
. "Johnny Walker's" Scouting Milestones.
Archived
from the original on 2013-10-04.
- ^
Peterson, Robert W. (1984).
The Boy Scouts: An American Adventure
. American Heritage.
ISBN
0-8281-1173-1
.
- ^
"2007 Silver Buffalo Awards for Distinguished Service to Youth on a National Level"
. Boy Scouts of America. Archived from
the original
on February 26, 2008
. Retrieved
February 6,
2008
.
- ^
XVI Conferencia Scout Interamericana (18 ? 23 Septiembre, Buenos Aires),
Resumen de la Conferencia, Pagina 04
Archived
2017-02-22 at the
Wayback Machine
.
- ^
Insignares, Jorge R.; Legorburu, International Commissioner, Dr. Federico Diaz (September 1984).
"Esta es la firma de William Hillcourt, XIV Interamerican Scout Conference, Curitiba, Brazil"
(in Spanish). Archived from
the original
on 2017-02-22
. Retrieved
2017-02-22
.
- ^
Pedro Emilio Correa (2014-11-01).
"Museo Virtual Scouts Venezuela: Curso de Liderazgo en Tropa"
.
Museo Virtual Scouts Venezuela
. (blog). Archived from
the original
on 2017-02-22
. Retrieved
2023-02-12
.
- ^
Peterson, Robert W.
(September 1985).
"Bill Hillcourt Still Going Strong on the scouting trail"
.
Scouting
.
73
(4). Boys Scouts of America: 26.
ISSN
0036-9500
. Archived from
the original
on 2017-02-22.
- ^
Raul Diaz A.
, Pathfinder Venezuelan Scouting (
Recalling a little to Bill Barra Verde "William Hillcourt" visiting Venezuela
: The Buffalo Hunt - Scout Identity Manual, Citizen and The Nature of Limestone. A Summary for Parents and Youth Leaders. A manual to contribute to the challenges of the future of today's youth (Inter-American Library Fund, 2013)
- ^
"Green Bar Bill Hillcourt"
.
The Ultimate Boy Scouts of America History Site
. Randy Woo. Archived from
the original
on February 14, 2008
. Retrieved
Jul 21,
2010
.
- ^
Gardner, Lew (Spring 1993). "Green Bar Bill Passes at Age 92".
Boots and Blisters
(75).
- ^
"Green Bar Bill's Patrol Corner"
.
Scouting
. October 2001.
Archived
from the original on March 16, 2016
. Retrieved
March 9,
2015
.
- ^
"William Hillcourt Scout Museum and Carson Buck Memorial Library"
.
Longhouse Council
. Archived from
the original
on September 23, 2008
. Retrieved
February 8,
2008
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
BSA Handbook
. Library Thing.
Archived
from the original on April 7, 2016
. Retrieved
July 31,
2011
.
- ^
Hillcourt, William; West, James E. (1933).
The 1933 Scout Jamboree Book
. Boy Scouts of America. Archived from
the original
on May 11, 2008
. Retrieved
February 4,
2008
.
- ^
Hillcourt, William (1950).
Handbook for Patrol Leaders
(World Brotherhood ed.). Boy Scouts of America.
- ^
Hillcourt, William (1977).
Norman Rockwell's World of Scouting
. Harry N Abrams.
ISBN
0-8109-1582-0
.
- ^
Hillcourt, William (1980).
The Official Boy Scout Handbook
. in association with the Boy Scouts of America (Ninth edition, 3rd print ed.). Boy Scouts of America.
ISBN
0-8395-3227-X
.
- ^
The Official Patrol Leader Handbook
. contributions by Hillcourt, William; Monroe, Keith. Boy Scouts of America. 1980.
ISBN
0-8395-6512-7
.
{{
cite book
}}
: CS1 maint: others (
link
)
Further reading
[
edit
]
- Block, Nelson R.; Proctor, Tammy M. (2009).
Scouting Frontiers: Youth and the Scout Movement's First Century
. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
ISBN
978-1-4438-0450-9
.
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