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Requirements January 1952 until June 1972

1. Read the Declaration of Independence and tell in your own words the meaning of the "self-evident truths" referred to.

2. Read the Constitution of the United States of America with its amendments, and: (a) explain its purpose as set forth in the Preamble; (b) draw a diagram to show the organization of our government into three branches as provided in Articles 1, 2, and 3; (c) describe and explain the purpose of the system of checks and balances in this organization; (d) tell how the Constitution may be amended as provided in Article 5.

3. Present newspaper or magazine clippings which show instances of how at least three of the privileges in our Bill of Rights have been protected in our country or how they have been denied in some other countries.

4. Take part in a group discussion (in your troop, Explorer unit, school, 4-H Club, family, or similar group) of an important national problem of the day.

5. Do one of the following: (a) Visit your national or state capitol, or a federal project which serves your community or region, or a place associated with a person or event which figured in the history of our nation. Prepare a report of your visit. (b) Correspond with someone, preferably a Scout or Explorer, who lives in another region of the United States or one of the U.S. territories.  Exchange ideas, descriptive material, hobby items, etc.

6. Tell the names of the senators from your state and the representatives from your district in Congress and how you should address a letter to them at their Washington offices.

7. Tell what branch or department of the federal government is responsible for ten of the following: national parks; national forests; fish and wildlife protection; weather forecasting; flood control; investigation of violations of federal laws; judgment on such violations; minting of money; appropriations for government expenses; foreign policy; supreme command of our armed forces; soil conservation; child welfare; atomic energy.

8. Do the following: (a) Describe five ways in which the federal government serves you, your family, and your community directly. (b) Discuss with your parents (or guardians) and counselor the ways in which federal income, social security, excise, and other taxes, as well as import duties, affect the cost of living.

9. Have or obtain a birth certificate or other legal evidence of your citizenship.  Or, if foreign born, learn what a person must do to gain United States citizenship.