Ramsey County History – Summer 2017: “A Good Turn for the Great Minnesota Get Together: The Boy Scout Service Camp at the Minnesota State Fair”

A Good Turn for the Great Minnesota Get Together: The Boy Scout Service Camp at the Minnesota State Fair
Author: M.D. Salzberg

Beginning in 1913 and lasting into the mid-1970s, Boy Scouts from Region 10 camped on the grounds of the Minnesota State Fair and provided a variety of volunteer services to fairgoers. The primary job that the Scouts performed every day during the fair was operating the public parking lots. They also counted laps at the afternoon auto races and gave helpful directions to fairgoers who were seeking a particular livestock barn, program, building, or exhibit. In return for their orderly operation of the parking lots, the Scouting program gained wide visibility that helped recruit new members and demonstrated the service orientation of Scouting and the individual Scouts who participated in the camps experienced memorable adventures.
PDF of Salzberg article