Los Banos Rotary Club History
Ackermann Tells Of Scout Program

Speaking to members of the Los Banos Rotary Club Tuesday noon, John Ackermann, Executive of the Yosemite Council, Boy Scouts of America, called upon the Rotary Club and every right thinking citizen in the community to appreciate and support the Boy Scout program of character and citizenship training for the youth of America. The Boy Scouts, Ackermann emphasized, can not be considered a cure-all program for all boys, but rather a supplemental program to home, school and church training.

He told of the Boy Scout work that is being done throughout the district, and of the success of the summer camp recently completed at Camp Bob McBride at Strawberry lake.

He also took the opportunity to command Los Banos for its announced program of securing a community swimming pool and recreational area for the youth of this area; and said he knew of no local project for which the need was greater. At Scout camp this summer, Ackermann said, the Los Banos boys were clearly outclassed in swimming and life saving by Scouts of Merced and other communities where swimming facilities are available.
He praised swimming as one of the best possible sports for boys and girls, and commented that during the war he personally knew of hundreds of incidents where Boy Scout training in swimming and life-saving had resulted in saving the lives of our men in the armed forces.

Ackermann also showed a motion picture talkie film, "The Years Between," depicting a youngster starting out as a Cub Scout, through his years as a Boy Scout and into his later

August 24, 1948

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