Address of President Coolidge before the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America Washington, D. C., May 1, 1926

Delivered in Washington in May 1926, this address uses the language of a restless nation to argue that civilization’s vitality depends on continual effort and confrontation with challenges. President Coolidge frames physical vigor, sharp senses, and a keen intellect as the result of the timeless “struggle for existence” that once unfolded in fields, streams, and seas. He warns that as modern comforts replace open‑air hardship, an artificial arena must be created to preserve the character‑building experiences once provided by nature.

In the speech he praises the Boy Scout movement as that very arena, tracing its founding in 1910, the influence of Sir Robert Baden‑Powell, and the support of successive presidents and congressional charter. By highlighting the Scout oath and its twelve points, he stresses how the program fosters duty to God and country, service to others, and personal integrity. The address offers a vivid snapshot of early twentieth‑century optimism about shaping youth through disciplined adventure.