HOME—BSA Handbooks & Handbook Covers—Scout Fieldbook

A Brief Background of the Scout Fieldbook (BSA)

The BSA produced forerunners to the Fieldbook as early as 1920 with pamphlets called the Scout's Fieldbook or Scoutmaster's Fieldbook. And from 1927 to 1942, they produced "The How Book of Scouting", which was also a Fieldbook forerunner. They finally produced the first official Fieldbook in 1944.

1st Edition—Scout Fieldbook (1944-1967)

Author credit went to both James E. West, Chief Scout, and William Hillcourt. West retired as Chief Scout Executive in 1943 and was named Chief Scout until his death in 1948 (only other Chief Scout was Ernest Thompson Seton). Cover art was by BSA art director Don Ross, who also did the cover art for the 1948 Scout Handbook, the 1947 & 1953 Scoutmaster Handbooks, and the Cub Scout Handbooks of the period. The book is lavishly illustrated with black-and-white photographs. Some photos were updated as uniform styles changed. Chapters are called "Pow-wows". The back cover of many printings had an index listing references to all Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class advancement requirements.

1st Edition Summary and Printing History

• title from title page—Scout Field Book
• authors are James West and William Hillcourt
• cover art is drawing of Scout cooking in camp, by Don Ross (first printing appears "faded" compared to later printings)
• 1944-1967 (23 years, although the last printing was in 1959)
• 1 290 000 copies printed
• size 137x203x23 mm (5-3/8x8")
• 14 printings:
  —1st printing (1944, 500 000 copies)—540 numbered pages
  —2nd printing (1946?, 50 000? copies)—540 numbered pages
  —3rd printing (Oct 1948, 50 000 copies)—540 numbered pages
  —4th printing (Dec 1949, 50 000 copies)—540 numbered pages
  —5th printing (Dec 1950, 50 000 copies)—540 numbered pages
  —6th printing (Jul 1951, 60 000 copies)—540 numbered pages
  —7th printing (Oct 1952, 60 000 copies)—540 numbered pages
  —8th printing (Jun 1953, 60 000 copies)—540 numbered pages
  —9th printing (Sep 1954, 60 000 copies)—540 numbered pages
  —10th printing (May 1955, 70 000 copies)—540 numbered pages
  —11th printing (May 1956, 70 000 copies)—552 numbered pages
  —12th printing (Mar 1957, 75 000 copies)—552 numbered pages
  —13th printing (Apr 1958, 75 000 copies)—552 numbered pages
  —14th printing (Feb 1959, 60 000 copies)—552 numbered pages

Actual 1st Edition Table of Contents

Contents of First 18 printings:

• PART I, IT'S FUN TO BE A SCOUT
• 1 The Gang in Action
• 2 Get in with the Gang
• PART II, HIKING ALONG
• 3 Along the Pioneer Trail
• 4 Through the Wilderness
• 5 Judging Tricks
• 6 Maps and Mapping
• 7 Signs and Signals
• 8 Use Your Senses
• 9 Tracks and Traces
• 10 The How of Stalking
• 11 Many Kinds of Hikes
• PART III, CAMP CRAFTS
• 12 Call of Camping
• 13 Your Camp Outfit
• 14 Your Wilderness Home
• 15 Fires and Fireplaces
• 16 Camp Cookery
• 17 Axe and Knife
• 18 Knots and Pioneering
• 19 Fun in the Water
• 20 Stunts in Camp
• 21 Many Kinds of Camps
• PART IV, WILD LIFE
• 22 Our American Animals
• 23 Winged Friends
• 24 Let's Go Fishing
• 25 Reptile Facts
• 26 A Few Amphibians
• 27 The Six Leggers
• 28 Flowers of the Year
• 29 Our Native Trees
• 30 Heavens Above
• 31 Wind and Weather
• 32 The Earth We Step On
• PART V, HELPING OTHERS
• 33 The Good Turn Habit
• 34 Better Be Safe
• 35 When Emergencies Strike
• 36 First Aid
• PART VI, YOU!
• 37 Physically Strong
• 38 Mentally Awake
• 39 Morally Straight
• 40 On to Eagle
• PART VII, OUR AMERICA
• 41 Our Flag
• 42 Our America
• 43 Our Democracy [added in printing 11]
• 44 YOU—American [added in printing 11]
• Acknowledgements
• Index

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Last Revision to This Page: 9 January 2021
Text copyright © 2006 by Jeff Snowden
Web format © 2006-21 by Troop 97 BSA
Handbook pictures copyright © by Boy Scouts of America