By Jari Villanueva

When the United States entered the Great War in 1917, the Boy Scouts of America were barely out of their own childhood. Founded only seven years earlier, the organization had grown quickly but was still finding its place in national life. Then came war — and with it, a call to serve that would transform the Scouts forever.

From the White House itself, President Woodrow Wilson, the Scouts’ honorary president, issued a summons. The nation needed help, and its boys in khaki were ready. Overnight, the Boy Scouts became something of a civilian army, answering Wilson’s plea to use their skills, discipline, and patriotism in defense of their country.

Their first mission took them into the forests of America. Airplanes and rifles needed strong, shock-resistant wood — black walnut, prized above all others. Scouts across the country shouldered notebooks and compasses and set out on a treasure hunt for trees. They combed fields, farms, and forest trails, marking the locations of every walnut tree they found. By the time the campaign ended, they had mapped enough to produce more than 20 million board feet of lumber — raw material that would become the propellers, gunstocks, and grips of American victory.

But service didn’t end in the woods. Another call came — this time, for fruit pits and nutshells. To fight the deadly poison gases drifting across the front lines of Europe, the Army needed activated charcoal for its gas mask filters. Scouts sprang into action once again, turning their local groceries, schools, and kitchens into collection centers. Cherry, peach, olive, and plum pits poured in by the barrel. In all, they filled more than 100 railroad cars with their strange but vital cargo. It was a nationwide scavenger hunt with life-or-death stakes.

Then came the Liberty Loan drives — massive national campaigns to sell war bonds. Adult salesmen made their rounds, but when doors stayed closed, the Scouts stepped in. They became the “Gleaners,” combing every neighborhood for hidden donors and unbought bonds. Armed with pamphlets, order forms, and unshakable determination, they sold nearly $355 million worth of bonds and stamps — a sum that even today would measure in the billions. Their success astonished government officials and proved that these boys were far more than eager volunteers — they were essential to the war effort.

While money and materials were critical, morale was too. The government’s Committee on Public Information relied on the Boy Scouts to carry messages to every corner of the country. The boys distributed more than 300 million pamphlets, leaflets, and notices — information about enlistment, rationing, conservation, and patriotic duty. In cities and small towns alike, the sight of a Scout in uniform meant trust. People opened doors; they listened.

On the coasts, some troops were trained as lookouts, watching for enemy ships or stray radio signals. Others worked as messengers and helpers during the 1918 influenza pandemic, delivering medicine, food, and comfort to families in quarantine. Still others tended War Gardens, ensuring communities could feed themselves while the nation’s farms sent their produce to troops overseas.

When the armistice was finally signed in November 1918, the Boy Scouts stood taller than ever before. They had proven that citizenship was more than words in a handbook — it was service in action. Their wartime contributions cemented their reputation as a cornerstone of American civic life. In recognition of their efforts, Congress strengthened their Federal Charter, formally making the BSA a national institution — a lasting tribute to the boys who had helped win a war not with weapons, but with patriotism, hard work, and heart.

And so, the young Scouts of 1917 marched home not just as boys, but as citizens — America’s youngest patriots, whose courage and commitment would echo long after the guns of Europe fell silent.