William Odell Tolman was committed to the scouting program for his entire life despite a rocky beginning from his own experience as a young scout due to a revolving door of scout leaders in his youth. His vision of the scouting program and desire to help young men caught fire when he had the unique opportunity to serve as Assistant Scoutmaster of a Scout Troop in Saltcoats, Scotland during his missionary service in the British Isles. During his mission, he participated in the 1929 World Scout Jamboree and had the opportunity of meeting Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of scouting. He was a registered scout for 53 years and served in various scout callings during that time including Assistant Scoutmaster of the Saltcoats troop from 1929 to 1930 and Troop 14 from 1931 to 1932, Scoutmaster in the Marion Ward during 1931 and in the Pocatello 6th Ward, Troop 12 from 1933 to 1934, Cub Committee, Cub Scout District Commissioner, Scout Commissioner, Stake Scout specialist and associate member of the Pocatello Stake Aaronic Priesthood Committee, District Scout Chairman, District Scout Advancement Chairman, Troop Committee Chairman, Sea Scout Leader, Boy Scout National Representative, and merit badge counselor for the genealogy and other merit badges. He was awarded the Sliver Beaver in 1948, Scouting’s highest award available to scout leaders. The following excerpts are from William Odell Tolman’s life history:
1922: When I was scout age I had a new scout leader about every thirty days. They were either too busy; not interested in us boys; or we boys were too busy helping on the farms to waste time in scouting; they just couldn’t see the value; etc. Each new scoutmaster had us pass the tenderfoot requirements. I don’t remember how many times; but I do remember that I never received a badge. We would ride our horses five miles and get the scoutmaster to come and have meetings. The ward cultural hall was one mile from the chapel. Boys ought to be grateful for a good scoutmasters and other scout leaders.
Thursday, 25 July 1929: We ate nothing all day today; fasting to get strength to win back Sister Winifred Willis… I spent a good share of this afternoon in studying the Boy Scout Handbook.
Friday, 2 Aug 1929: Attended Jamboree today. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. I had the privilege of seeing and hearing the Prince of Wales. He gave a fine talk to the boys and also read a message from His Majesty the King. The Chief Scout Baden-Powell spoke words of inspiration to the boys. The theme of their talks was how scouting is leading towards world peace. All of the scouts marched past the grandstand and it was wonderful. Forty-two nations or countries were represented. Tonight we attended a campfire sing song and it was surely good.
Sunday, 4 Aug 1929: This morning I went to Liverpool to Sunday School and Elder Cherrington went to Arrowe Park. After school Sister Widtsoe invited President Savage, Brother Allen and I to eat with them. Then we went to Arrowe Park to attend a meeting there of all the Mormon boys that were in camp. There was thousands of people in the camp and the mud was two or three inches thick. There was seven different missions of scouts represented and President Widtsoe, Brother James (British Vice Council for Salt Lake) and Brother Kirkham spoke to us. As they talked it was translated into the German language. Tonight we held our opening meeting in new hall, 32 Argyle Street. There was between sixty and seventy people present.
Monday, 12 Aug 1929: Last Day of Jamboree! This morning we left for Arrowe Park. .. The scout skill was displayed at the rally in the arena. The speed of erecting scout tents and also taking them down. Then physical exercise for boys was displayed. After the rally we went back to the American camp. I visited the German camp and had dinner with the Mormon boys. President Valentine and Sister Valentine from the German Austrian Mission were there. Tonight they ended up with a big fireworks. It was very pretty.
Friday, 13 September 1929: I had the feeling that I should offer my services to the Boy Scout organization in the community and went to the home of the district chairman. He was very gracious as he invited us in and was thrilled with the possibility of having a Boy Scout from America assist them in their local troop where they were in great need of leadership. As we had dinner with this man and his lovely wife, he was shocked when he found out that we were Mormon missionaries and in anger ordered us from his home. The spirit of the Lord surely rested on me at that time as I bore my testimony to him of the brotherhood that exists in the world-wide boy scout movement. He finally consented for us to finish our meal and after much conversation, reluctantly took me to visit the District Scoutmaster known in this country as the district commissioner. This man was really excited about my helping in the local scout troop until he too found out that I was a Mormon. This surely knocked the wind out of his sails. He decided that it wasn’t such a good idea but still agreed to introduce me to the scout troop. The seven months that followed were really wonderful and productive. Even though the three local ministers on the Boy Scout district board fought my appointment, I was finally issued a special assistant scoutmaster’s certificate by the chief scout of the world, Robert Baden Powell. When I left the city, there was hardly a home that we could not enter and talk to the people. We had a Primary enrollment of one hundred and fifty children with only the three Buchanan children who were members of the church. It is quite a thrilling thing for me to know that there is now a ward in Saltcoats.
Wednesday, 9 Oct 1929: This morning on our way down town I stopped in at the photographer’s, Mr. Brown, former scoutmaster of Saltcoats, to see which of the negatives I wanted printed. I also inquired of him about the scout work. He gave me the address of the district committee chairman, Mr. James Kirkland, Elleray, Stevenston Road, Kilwinning Ayrshire and said to see him. So after dinner we went out to Kilwinning and I wore my uniform. (It was sure the attraction.) After finding Elleray, we were invited in by his son, who was home on a visit from Detroit. We met another of his sons, a sailor, and also Mrs. Kirkland. We were surely welcomed and soon he came home. He was glad to see us and right away said they needed an assistant scoutmaster in Saltcoats. Well, I wasn’t expecting hardly that, but I promised to do my best. Then in the course of the conversation he wanted to know what church we were representing. I told him The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and to his puzzled look I added or “Mormons.” He turned several different colors and let out an oath, but after I had talked pretty fast for a while, he cooled down and later we ate tea with them and to their surprise we neither smoked nor drank tea. After tea we were taken and introduced to district scoutmaster a fine man and then we rode back with him to Saltcoats. As yet I can’t remember his name. He too has a nice wife and I talked to them on the way back. The district scoutmaster is coming over this Friday to scout meeting in Saltcoats and introduce us to the scoutmaster of Saltcoats, Mr. T.H. Carmichael. I feel that God has granted to me my desires and more; it will now be my duty and privilege to help the boys all that I can…
Friday,11 Oct 1929: About six o’clock we got ready and left for our first scout meeting here in this town. After we arrived the boys invited us in and soon the district scoutmaster, Mr. Leptrot came and then Mr. Carmichael the local scoutmaster came. We were introduced to them and had a real enjoyable evening. They had a campfire sing song and then we went home. I was asked to run in a scoutmaster race tomorrow. I know I am not a fast runner, but I have put my trust in God and if he sees best I shall win, if I run.
Saturday, 12 Oct 1929: Right after dinner we left for the sports contest that is being held between Ardrossen and Saltcoats boy scouts. I was asked to be one of the score keepers and I had the honor of helping judge some of the contests. I didn’t run because they didn’t have the race, but we brought the Shield home to Saltcoats. We beat Ardrossen sixty-six to forty-four… I wish that I could find words to express my gratitude to God for this wonderful opportunity.
Thursday, 19 Dec 1929: Tonight I attended a boy scout court of honor at which I acted as chairman and we tried some of the scouts for offences that were committed by them. 1st a patrol leader, David Lyle, who by lying in court after a pledge of his honor was reduced to a recruit and stripped of his badges and to offer an apology before the troop. Scout, Laird, 2nd, was to apologize for uncleanliness in speech before girls, also Scout Jack M. Sentences were passed that I had suggested.
1930: I wrote on the inside cover of my 1930 diary: My life work if God wills – Scouting – helping boys, helping girls, helping others, those who need help. Wm. o. Tolman.
Sunday, 25 May 1930: After sacrament meeting we caught a tram for Alexander Park and there-held forth a street meeting. Before beginning we had a circle prayer and soon a large crowd gathered around, some seven hundred people, at the least and after the three of us spoke I opened for questions and the main was on the changing of the Sabbath day. Elder Gillett and William as “Reverend Wilson.” After I gave her my opinion and read scriptures to her, I let Elder Campbell say something but still she was left unconvinced that it was right to worship on Sunday. We all enjoyed the meeting and I met a rover scout after the meeting and he is going to take three of us through a steel works soon. My connections with the scouts has opened up many friends to me. I am convinced of the worth of scouting.
1931: Another very important event happened in the summer of 1931. My activity as scoutmaster in the Marion Ward of the Cassia Stake had a part to play, in this thing that has had great influence on my life. I planned to take my scout troop on a swimming party to Artesian where I worked before going on a mission. It seemed like a good idea to take a date with me, so I called the home of John Adams and asked permission to take his daughter Opal. We were not well acquainted but she was in the high school band with my brother Alma and a very close friend of my cousin and dancing partner Leola Tolman. Brother Adams said, “Young man, you can take my daughter but she must be home by 10:30 p.m. The day came and I picked her up in my Model A Ford coupe. Then we loaded my car and Brother Robert Smith’s car with scouts, and I mean we were loaded. It was a fun day at the swimming resort, and we started home in plenty of time. In those days we traveled on dirt roads and the dust was deep and hot in the dry dusty month of July. The heat was too much for the high pressure tires and the patches on inner tubes began to melt. We had one flat tire after another on my car or the Smith Model A Sedan. We would stop, re-patch the tube, remount the tires, use the customary hand pump to fill it with air and go for another mile. This process was repeated many times. The boys had a great time, but I was fearful of what would happen to me as I got Opal home at 2:00 a. m. the next morning. I took Opal to the door and left on the run fearing that her Dad would use the shotgun on me. My conscience hurt so much I called the Adams home early the next morning and apologized to Brother Adams. This impressed him, and he was very good to me as I courted his daughter during the next three years.
Thursday, 24 Sep 1931: School again today and regular football practice at 4:00 p.m. Tonight I went with the 6th Ward Boy Scouts on their annual watermelon bust. We had a great time, a treasure hunt, with candy at the end, games, campfire & watermelon. I was asked by the committee to take over the troop as scoutmaster. I haven’t accepted it yet. I want to be able to do justice to the office and to the boys if I do accept.
Monday, 5 Oct 1931 to Thursday, Oct. 8, 1931: Regular classes during these days. I have quit football and started with the class in gymnastics and I have accepted the position of scoutmaster in troop 12, 6th Ward, LDS Church. After receiving a letter from father and calling him up over the phone I decided to go home for one week and help harvest potatoes. I saw all my teachers and also Dean Dyre and with their consent I felt safer in going.
Wednesday, 6 Jan 1932: Regular class work today. Boy Scout court of honor tonight, at which I was surprised when Doctor Davis asked me to address the boys – particularly those receiving badges. Oh, how I love my work with the boys and I only pray that I can become of more help and service to them.
1934: Times were really tough because we were going into the roughest years of the depression and jobs were scarce. It became necessary for me to withdraw from school and work 76-80 hours a week for the total sum of$7.00. We had a wonderful time together as sweethearts even though it was a financial struggle. I was still working as scoutmaster with a troop of forty-five boys. My wife was quite sure that she had not only married me but also forty-five scouts because they spend most of their waking hours in our home before and after school and in the summertime.
Sep 1957: I gave a talk by invitation of Rulon Jenson and shared some of the stories of my mission and especially scouting. I told some of the experiences of my brothers and brothers-in-law during World War II. There were also a few family stories about the bear and Uncle Alex and Diamond Field Jack.
30 Sep 1957: I applied with BYU Extension services to teach any of the following classes for them: Book of Mormon, Church History, New and Old Testaments, Courtship and Marriage, Missionary Training and Scouting.
11 Feb 1960: I was the main speaker at a Boy Scout banquet in American Fork at 6:30. It included cubs, scouts, explorers and parents. My wife was invited to speak for 20 minutes.
4 Nov-Sunday, 5 Dec 1965: My stake conference assignment was to North Sacramento (President Lester D. Call) with Elder Marion D. Hanks and J. Elliot Cameron of the Sunday School. It is in North Highlands, California. My son John picked me up at the airport and I stayed with him Friday and Saturday evenings. They have a well informed but pessimistic high council advisor. Good but uninformed bishops, interested high priest group leaders and examiners and a stake membership waiting for direction. Everyone waiting for everyone else to move first and everyone blaming everyone else for failure of the program. I met my cousins at the home of my son John on Friday evening. It was an exciting experience to find that I have about 50 cousins living in this area. We organized the family with Bishop Keplar C. Tolman as area representative, his wife as secretary and 7 other couples to be on the seven operating committees of the family. The thrilling thing was the fact that they were just waiting to be activated in the family organization. Two of my boy scouts of 30 years ago were present – one a high priest group leader, the other President Melvin Woodland of the American River Stake. My three grandchildren fought to see who would sleep on the floor close to my bed Friday and Saturday nights – two of them succeeded.
10 Dec 1974: I spoke to the Boy Scouts in the 31 st Ward on genealogy and safety merit badges.
Sunday, 6 Jun 1976: Today’s Chuckle in the Salt Lake Tribune said, “My wife, lets me go out once a week with the boys. I’m a scoutmaster.
24 Feb 1979: I spoke at a scout dinner, which included parents, on my experience with Lord Baden-Powell. The lights went out during my talk, so I ended up in a darkened cultural hall sharing my bear story with them.
(Contributed by the Thomas Tolman Family Organization. Excerpts from William Odell Tolman: Patriarch, Genealogist, Teacher compiled by Loraine Tolman Pace, First Edition, 2009, pages 11, 35, 37, 41-44, 47, 51, 67-68, 70-71, 74, 81, 133, 235, 323, 391, 429, 488).
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