Page:Final Report of the Northwest Territory Celebration Commission.pdf/42



Effort was made to interest the many different associations, organizations and societies which hold meetings and programs on a broad scope in devoting time and effort to Northwest Territory history.

Because of the limited funds available, it was necessary to approach the national and district organizations, rather than each individual unit, of which there were altogether many thousands.

In some cases the response was more than gratifying—was in fact stupendous. In others, there was just about nothing done. In order to make the facts of value to anyone else it will be necessary to describe effort and results by at least rough classifications.

The Boy Scout organization took up the subject earnestly, with the national officers actively participating.

The regional "Jamboree" was held at Marietta in July, 1938, with some 2,500 scouts from surrounding states participating. Over three thousand cartographic maps were distributed among Boy Scouts.

After the national officers became interested, there was a much greater enthusiasm among the district and local leaders in the Territory than had been secured by our initial mailings to all Boy Scout leaders in the six states.

Many programs of the Boy Scouts' meetings were built around Northwest Territory history. Speaking broadly, the participating effort of this organization was satisfying indeed.

The same sort of promotion effort was put forth with the Girl Scouts, but aside from local and isolated cases we are not aware of any particular activity by this organization in connection with the celebration.

The Celebration's worst failure, in the minds at least of its administrators, was in the small cooperation secured from churches and ministry.

It had been believed that this particular historic commemoration would appeal strongly to this group, because the celebration was of peace-time motif and character; it seemed that good government and good religion were closely related; and the Ordinance of 1787 was the first and greatest United States paper to specifically provide for the public support of religion.

Again approach was first made to the national organizations, in person to many of the leading ones and by mail to some seventy-eight. Voluble assurances were given where personal calls were made, while letters produced but very, very few responses.

Even in the cases of the church organizations called upon in the interest of getting them to suggest that their ministers prepare and delivered special sermons and to devote space in their church publications to religious matter pertaining to the period, it was quickly apparent that, despite promises made, nothing was being done, or apparently would be done.

The next effort was to more local church organizations, and even to individual ministers. Results were equally fruitless.