The LSA came along at a most opportune time. The horizon was being steadily pushed back as the world abandoned the horse and buggy and entered the motor car era; newspapers and magazines were telling of its wonders. What was happening on the other side of the earth suddenly became important as distances were reduced through better communications. The movies and radio were attracting boy experimenters and everyone wanted "to get in on the act."

W. D. Boyce had brought the Boy Scout movement to America in 1910 and while he financed most of it the first six months, he left the day-to-day operation up to others. By 1914 he saw that, while the movement had caught on in a big way, it was a "rich" boy's game. The member had to have uniforms, equipment and books, all costing money.

Boyce publishing printed number of publications which had to It is quite possible that Boyce knew of "Lone Craft Boys" in England where the lone boy could follow a semblance of the Scout program. At any rate, he incorporated the Lone Scouts of America in early 1915 and by making his agents members, he had an initial membership of 50,000. Most of this early history of the organization of the Lone Scouts of America is recorded here in the first few articles written by the same men who actually created and lived this episode in Scouting history.

The merger with the Boy Scouts of America in early 1924 ended the most unique phase of the program. When the LSA was a separate organization the official magazine, Lone Scout, offered Lone Scouts the opportunity to contribute to the magazine. With its open pages "by boys, for boys," it offered ample space for fledgling and budding writers, artists and consumers of boy-produced fiction. This truly was a boy's magazine and stands alone in the annals of youth magazines--no magazine yet has been produced for the youth of this nation that commanded such fierce loyalty and devotion.

Although historically short in duration, the Lone Scouts of America had such a wide appeal that such diverse personalities as folk singer Burl Ives, Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey, Senator Rush D. Holt (California), Governor Orval Faubus (Arkansas), Commerce Secretary Maurice Stans, U. S. Senate Chaplain Reverend Dr. Edward L. R. Elson, writer and novelist Lucien W. Emerson, Chief Scout Executives Joseph A. Brunton and Harvey L. Price, Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of the Republic of the Philippines Godofredo P. Neric, actor Erol Flynn, and many others who are less well known men were proud to be Lone Scouts.