Figure 1.--Scours during the War were involved in many volunteer efforts, often at the local level, like these New York Scouts. The caption of this 1944 press photo read, "Hospital Scouts--To those who watch the Boy Scout movement grow, one more proof of the versatility of the boys of this great organization will be no surprise. Since war was forced upon America the Scouts have played major and minor roles in every civilian defense activity, shouldering heavy volunteer duties cheerfully and turning in a perfomance that reflects the greatest credit upon the organization that has become famous for good deed. The newest project undertaken by the Boy Scouts is that of serving as hospital aides in institutions yhat are sadly understaffed because of the exigencies of war. Under the program of the Manhattan Council, New York Boy Scouts are serving in the City's hospitals and doing as good a job as they do in every other field to which they have devoted their time and talants. The Boy Scout Hospital Program is now past the experimental stage. One hospital which requesed the services of th boys has requested a staff .... The three boys are at work putting cotton in sterilized test tubes for laboratory use. The youngsters catch on quickly with a minimum of teachingand prove to be a real help in all departmentsof the hospitals where they perform their good works. These Scouts work in the Flower Hospital."

The War effort drew large number of people into the work force. This included large numbers of people that had not previously worked outside the home. This created labor shortages in many public institutions that had previously hired workers at low wage rates are relied ion volunteers. Scouts helped fll the labor shortages. Scouts were involved in a wide range of volunteer efforts. This was commonly done at the local rther than nationl level. We notice, for example, Boys working in hospitals.