William Hillcourt (1900–1992) was an influential leader in the Boy
Scouts of America (BSA) organization for much of the 20th century,
acclaimed as "the foremost influence on development of the Boy Scouting
program". Hillcourt is especially noted as a writer and teacher in the
areas of woodcraft, troop and patrol structure, and training. He was a
prolific writer; his works include three editions of the BSA's widely
circulated official Boy Scout Handbook, with over 12.6 million copies
printed. Hillcourt developed and promoted the American adaptation of
the Wood Badge program, the premier adult leader training program of
Scouting. Hillcourt was Danish, but moved to the United States as a
young adult and worked for the BSA. From his start in Danish Scouting
in 1910 though his death in 1992, he was continuously active in
Scouting. He traveled all over the world teaching and training both
Scouts and Scouters, earning many of Scouting's highest honors. His
legacy and influence can still be seen today in the BSA program and in
Scouting training manuals and methods for both youth and adults.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hillcourt>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1890:
At Auburn Prison in Auburn, New York, US, William Kemmler became the
first person to be executed in an electric chair.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/electric_chair>
1914:
World War I: Germany's Atlantic U-boat Campaign began when ten U-boats
sailed from their base in Heligoland to attack British Royal Navy
warships in the North Sea, the first ever submarine war patrol in
history.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_U-boat_Campaign_%28World_War_I%29>
1930:
New York City judge Joseph Force Crater mysteriously disappeared after
being last seen leaving a restaurant and entering a taxi, earning him
the title of "The Missingest Man in New York".
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Force_Crater>
1962:
Jamaica gained full independence from the United Kingdom, more than 300
years after the English captured it from Spanish colonists in 1655.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaica>
1991:
British computer programmer Tim Berners-Lee first posted files
describing his ideas for a system of interlinked, hypertext documents
accessible via the Internet, to be called a "World Wide Web".
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Berners-Lee>
2008:
Mauritanian President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi was ousted
from power by a group of high ranking generals that he had dismissed
from office several hours earlier.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Mauritanian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
harridan (n):
A vicious and scolding woman, especially an older one
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/harridan>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
The fate of all explanation is to close one door only to have another
fly wide open.
--Charles Fort
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Charles_Fort>
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