Progressive Era reformers made youth development a special focus of their organizational energies. In an extraordinary burst of creativity, in less than a decade (1901–1910) most of the nationwide youth organizations that were to dominate the twentieth century were founded—the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Campfire Girls, the 4-H, Boys Clubs and Girls Clubs, Big Brothers and Big Sisters. In a stroke of marketing genius, the new organizations combined enduring social values—“A Scout is trustworthy, helpful, friendly, courteous…”—with the pure fun of camping, sports, and play.
