Scouting

Scouting was popular in Lithuania during the years of independence, 1918 to 1940. It was more than an activity for children; it was a way for people to express their national pride. It was also, unlike other organizations, not heavily inflected with religious overtones.

My Dad participated in the Lithuanian Scouts from early childhood through his late twenties. Dad met his closest friends through scouting, and he had a poignant attachment to his memories of the organization. When Dad fell ill, he devoted hours to rephotographing and retouching the faded snapshots from his scouting years. He assembled the restored photos, which he printed himself, in an album dedicated to scouting. It was one of the last things Dad did before he died.

The scouting organizations also played important roles among Displaced Persons during the 1940s. Dad was active as a scout in the DP camps, and he served as a mentor to younger Lithuanian men. When my Parents married, the Lithuanian Scouts presented them with a traditional Lithuanian wedding gift, a decorated wooden plate. The inscription on the back of the plate read, "We wish much happiness to our dear Brother as he steps forward into a new life." That plate still rests on my desk.

Schweinfurt, Germany, 1948. My Dad, second from right, joins fellow Lithuanian Scouts in the DP camp in which they lived. This photo was taken shortly before my Parents married.