[1947 SENIOR BOY SCOUTS HOME MOVIE]

Genre: home movie

Year Published: 1947

Description:

This untitled, uncredited silent color home movie takes place at the Senior Scout encampment on Chanute Air Force Base (today decommissioned) in Chanute Field, Illinois. The film, which was likely made in 1947, details for the viewer the day to day activities and lessons of the Senior Scouts. (The Boy Scout of America or BSA created a “Senior Scout” division for boys 15 and older in 1935. The Senior Scout programs included the Sea Scouts, Air Scouts, Explorer Scouts, Rover Scouts, and a few others. Explorer Scouts focused on advanced camping and worked on advancement leading to the Ranger Award. Senior Scouts was not a specified program but rather a collection of programs that covered different skills like air scouting, sea scouting, and explorer scouting among others. This particular film, covers the Senior Scout air scouting program.)

Film opens, opens to text that reads “Let’s go to a Senior Scout encampment” (0:07). Official Senior Scout insignia (0:15). Senior Scout Encampment brochure (0:22). Yellow fuel trucks contrast gray concrete of tarmac (1:13). Camera pans tarmac, planes parked side-by-side; Close-up side view North American AT-6 Texan training aircraft (1:26). Senior scouts check mechanics of planes, practice getting in and out of cockpit before preparing for take off (1:50). Senior scouts check-in with officer before climbing into a Douglas C-47A Skytrain (DC-3) (4:36). View from a distance as Douglas C-47A Skytrain takes off from tarmac (4:56). Senior scouts in mixture of Navy, Army Air Force, Army uniforms march in formation; Stand outside of local church for Sunday service (5:18). Dimly lit classroom, navigation lesson (6:34). Senior scouts, in green uniforms, blend in with the forested area as they march through (6:59). Boys and girls socialize, picnic along coastline of what it appears to be lake (7:32). Plane slowly comes into view overhead, flies through clouds until right above camera (8:00). Another classroom on the base, other Senior Scouts receiving instruction in an unknown subject (9:28). Camera pans plane hangar on the base, yellow and green refueling trucks parked to the left (10:16). Senior scouts exit “pilot's lounge” building wearing safety packs on their backs, instructors check packs for missing items, tighten and secure them as needed (11:02). Another shot of 1944 North American AT-6 Texans parked on tarmac; Appears film begins again from beginning, however, footage taken from another angle (11:53). Senior scouts standing outside of church (14:49). Some senior scouts out of uniform, in jeans and t-shirts, play pick-up game of baseball in middle of cleared lot (15:23). Another shot of senior scouts in green uniforms marching through cleared path in forest (15:30). Camp social with girls along lake shore, boys and girls play games and dance (16:05). Film ends (17:25).

Complete Record: This untitled, uncredited silent color home movie takes place at the Senior Scout encampment on Chanute Air Force Base (today decommissioned) in Chanute Field, Illinois. The film, which was likely made in 1947, details for the viewer the day to day activities and lessons of the Senior Scouts. (The Boy Scout of America or BSA created a “Senior Scout” division for boys 15 and older in 1935. The Senior Scout programs included the Sea Scouts, Air Scouts, Explorer Scouts, Rover Scouts, and a few others. Explorer Scouts focused on advanced camping and worked on advancement leading to the Ranger Award. Senior Scouts was not a specified program but rather a collection of programs that covered different skills like air scouting, sea scouting, and explorer scouting among others. This particular film, covers the Senior Scout air scouting program.) Film opens, opens to text that reads “Let’s go to a Senior Scout encampment” (0:07). Official Senior Scout insignia (0:15). Senior Scout Encampment brochure (0:22). Yellow fuel trucks contrast gray concrete of tarmac (1:13). Camera pans tarmac, planes parked side-by-side; Close-up side view North American AT-6 Texan training aircraft (1:26). Senior scouts check mechanics of planes, practice getting in and out of cockpit before preparing for take off (1:50). Senior scouts check-in with officer before climbing into a Douglas C-47A Skytrain (DC-3) (4:36). View from a distance as Douglas C-47A Skytrain takes off from tarmac (4:56). Senior scouts in mixture of Navy, Army Air Force, Army uniforms march in formation; Stand outside of local church for Sunday service (5:18). Dimly lit classroom, navigation lesson (6:34). Senior scouts, in green uniforms, blend in with the forested area as they march through (6:59). Boys and girls socialize, picnic along coastline of what it appears to be lake (7:32). Plane slowly comes into view overhead, flies through clouds until right above camera (8:00). Another classroom on the base, other Senior Scouts receiving instruction in an unknown subject (9:28). Camera pans plane hangar on the base, yellow and green refueling trucks parked to the left (10:16). Senior scouts exit “pilot's lounge” building wearing safety packs on their backs, instructors check packs for missing items, tighten and secure them as needed (11:02). Another shot of 1944 North American AT-6 Texans parked on tarmac; Appears film begins again from beginning, however, footage taken from another angle (11:53). Senior scouts standing outside of church (14:49). Some senior scouts out of uniform, in jeans and t-shirts, play pick-up game of baseball in middle of cleared lot (15:23). Another shot of senior scouts in green uniforms marching through cleared path in forest (15:30). Camp social with girls along lake shore, boys and girls play games and dance (16:05). Film ends (17:25).