Sea Scouts at Elks Club

Creator

Manitowoc (Wis.). Police Department

Date

• ca. 1941-ca. 1945

Summary

• Interior view of the Elks Club at 809 South Eighth Street in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, as it appeared in the early 1940s. Twelve members of the Manitowoc Sea Scouts troop are seated on chairs on the wooden floor in front of the stage. A rack of mounted elk horns hangs above the proscenium arch. The stage curtains are open. A grand piano, three "throne type" chairs, and two flags and a banner on poles are on the stage, with a large American flag and a framed certificate suspended above. On the floor separating the two seated rows of Sea Scouts is a large model ship's wheel and a lifesaving ring labeled "SSS Constitution 41." Sea Scouts were a department of the Boy Scouts of America, geared to older boys aged 14 to 21. Their activities centered around sea lore, sailing, and community service. Local units were called "ships." The Manitowoc "ship," called the "SSS Constitution," had been organized in 1941. During the World War II years, the Manitowoc Sea Scouts served as auxiliary policemen, worked in Civilian Defense programs, assisted with scrap drives, helped with crowd control at submarine launchings, and performed many other war-related volunteer services.