Boys' Life
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Boys' Life is the monthly magazine of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Its targeted readership is young American males between the ages of 6 and 18. Boys' Life is published in three editions. The low edition is for Tiger Cubs and Cub Scouts through age eight; the middle edition is for Cub Scouts and Webelos Scouts above age nine; the high edition is for Boy Scouts and all other subscribers.[1] If the subscription is obtained through registration in the Boy Scouts of America program, the publisher will select the appropriate edition based on the boy's age.
The magazine's mascot is Pedro the Mailburro. Its ISSN number is 0006-8608.
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[edit] History
In 1911, George S. Barton, of Somerville, Massachusetts, founded, edited and published the first edition of Boys' Life magazine. He called it Boys' and Boy Scouts' Magazine. At that time there were three major competing Scouting organizations: the American Boy Scouts, New England Boy Scouts, and Boy Scouts of America (BSA).
The first issue of Barton's Boys' Life was published on January 1, 1911. 5000 copies were printed of that first issue. Very few of those copies actually reached the public. The widely accepted first edition was published on March 1, 1911. With this issue, the magazine was expanded from eight to 48 pages, the page size was reduced, and a two-color cover was added. In 1912, the Boy Scouts of America purchased the magazine, making it an official BSA magazine.
Noteworthy writers contributing over the years are Alex Haley, Arthur C. Clarke, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Van Wyck Brooks, Ernest Thompson Seton, Catherine Drinker Bowen, Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov and John Knowles.
Noteworthy artists and photographers contributing over the years are Norman Rockwell, Salvador Dalí, Ansel Adams, Philippe Halsman and Joseph Csatari.
[edit] Content
Often, the version of Boys Life (BL) geared towards older boys features buying guide for products such as cars, MP3 players, digital cameras, sunglasses, and more.
Boys Life had in 2005 a monthly feature called BL's Get Fit Guide. Each month highlights a different aspect of physical health, such as diet, exercise, drugs, etc. Each month they also feature a unique boy scout trip that most scouts don't normally do.
In both versions, BL feature a video game section, which, in addition to new video game reviews, contains cheats for a videogame monthly. They also contain technology updates, as well as book reviews.
Content includes: Special Features, Adventure Stories, Bank Street Classics, Entertainment, Environmental Issues, History, Sports, and Codemaster.
Comics include: Bible Stories, Pedro, Pee Wee Harris, Scouts in Action, Tiger Cubs, and Webelos Woody.
Feature columns include: Electronics, Entertainment, Fast Facts, History, Hitchin' Rack With Pedro the Mailburro, Think and Grin (jokes page), Science, Scouting Around, and Sports.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ BSA at a Glance. Fact Sheet. Boy Scouts of America. Retrieved on February 15, 2007.
- Boys' Life magazine. Boy Scouts of America. Retrieved on July 12, 2007.
- Dizer, Dr. John T. (1994). The Birth and Boyhood of Boys' Life. Scouting Magazine. Boy Scouts of America. Retrieved on July 12, 2007.
- Hood, Robert (1996). The Best of Times. Scouting Magazine. Boy Scouts of America. Retrieved on July 12, 2007.
