6th Edition cover art by Norman Rockwell, painting of a Scout with pack, walking by and waving. The Scout is wearing a red neckerchief as usual, overseas cap, and leggings (for many years in the '50s and '60s, the BSA promoted leggings through their artwork, though these were seldom worn by Scouts outside of the handbooks and catalogs). An interesting error, never detected in seven printings, is the Scout's belt—which is backwards. Due to lack of time, Rockwell painted only the figure itself, someone else filled in the background scene of Scouts hiking and in camp. This is the only Rockwell painting specifically done as a Handbook cover, in honor of the BSA's 50th Anniversary. The back cover continues the scene from the front cover background.
7th Edition cover art (below) by Dom Lupo, painting of Scouts in various hats and neckerchiefs, wearing backpacks and smiling. The background is a camp scene very similar to that of the 6th Edition, also continued onto the back cover.
The 6th Edition brought in the modern age of Scout Handbooks, although much has changed since that first multi-colored handbook celebrated the BSA's 50th Anniversary.
For the first time, a Scout Handbook has a single author throughout. For this duty, the BSA selected William "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt, who had written every Handbook for Scoutmasters since 1936 and every Handbook for Patrol Leaders the BSA had ever had up to that time (the BSA had no guidebook for Patrol Leaders until 1929).
The 7th Edition resulted from a BSA revision of the advancement requirements, but the changes in the Handbook's text and arrangement were minimal. The combined 6th and 7th Editions have the most copies in print of all Handbooks (8.2 million).
These editions are easily distinguished from earlier ones by their larger size and especially by the attractive, full-color artwork throughout. They reintroduce rowing and canoeing, alcohol and tobacco, coffee and tea. The section on lifesaving is reduced to elementary rescues. Early printings have little star information and nothing about poisonous snakes. There is no longer any discussion of tent-making or weather or handicrafts. The 6th Edition has only one illustration of the taut line hitch with no instructions on how to tie it; all other knots are grouped together in another section of the book. The 6th and 7th Editions are the first Handbooks not to contain a listing of the requirements for all merit badges.
The 7th Edition deletes how to measure heights and distances (since these had been removed from the advancement requirements), and it is the first Handbook to state that a saw is a useful tool (only the axe is included in earlier editions). The 7th Edition is also the first Handbook to show non-white faces (the BSA permitted its chartered Scout Councils to operate racially segregated districts and troops as late as 1971).
6th & 7th Editions Summary and Printing History
Combined Total for 6th/7th Editions:
These two Editions were virtually identical in content except for differences related to new advancement requirements.
1959-1972 (13 years)
8,210,000 copies printed (average 631,538 copies printed per year)
14 printings
6th Edition
title from title page—Boy Scout Handbook
by William Hillcourt
cover art by Norman Rockwell
1959-1965 (6 years)
3,875,000 copies printed (average 645,833 copies printed per year)
Hiking Trail to SECOND CLASS
Second Class Tests
Scout Teamwork
Scoutcraft
Scout Spirit
Camping Trail to FIRST CLASS
First Class Tests
Scout Teamwork
Scoutcraft
Scout Spirit
Advancement Trail to EAGLE
Merit Badges
Star Scout Requirements
Life Scout Requirements
Eagle Scout Requirements
Other Scout Awards
Merit Badge Groups
Scouting Trail to CITIZENSHIP
Duty to God
Duty to Country
Obeying the Scout Law
Helping Other People
Physically Strong
Mentally Awake
Morally Straight
Once a Scout, Always a Scout
7th Edition
(nearly identical in content to 6th Edition, but table of contents expanded)
YOU as a Boy Scout
Starting Trail to TENDERFOOT
Tenderfoot Tests
The Spirit of Scouting
Outward Signs of a Scout
The Scout Uniform
Scout Badge
Our Country's Flag
Knots
Protect the Outdoors
Your Life in Scouting
Hiking Trail to SECOND CLASS
Second Class Tests
Your Life as a Scout
Let's Go Hiking
Find Your Way
Lost
Get to Know Nature
Trailing, Tracking, and Stalking
The Tools of a Woodsman
Your Hike Meal
Emergency Preparation
Scout Spirit
Camping Trail to FIRST CLASS
First Class Test [should have been "Tests", typo never corrected]
Your Life as a Scout
To Camp!
Your First Class Camps
Mapping
The Stars in the Sky
Woodlore
Go Swimming
Get a Message Through
Be Prepared for Accidents
Scout Spirit
Adventure Camping
Advancement Trail to EAGLE
Merit Badges
Star Scout Requirements
Life Scout Requirements
Eagle Scout Requirements
Other Scout Awards
Merit Badge Groups
Scouting Trail to CITIZENSHIP
From Boy to Man [table of contents entry added to later printings, but section present in all 6th & 7th Editions]
Duty to God
Duty to Country
Obeying the Scout Law
Helping Other People
Physically Strong
Mentally Awake
Morally Straight
Once a Scout, Always a Scout
Books You'll Enjoy Reading [also in the 6th Edition, but not listed in table of contents]
