A question that is frequently asked, but is a little more complex than you may have thought, “Does the BSA receive royalties from the Irving Berlin song “God Bless America”?
Answer: Here is what is recorded in the Library of Congress on the subject: In the fall of 1938, as war was again threatening Europe, Berlin decided to write a “peace” song. He recalled his “God Bless America” from 20 years earlier and made some alterations to reflect the different state of the world. Singer Kate Smith introduced the revised song during her radio broadcast on Armistice Day, 1938. It was an immediate sensation; the sheet music was in great demand.
Berlin soon established the God Bless America Fund, recommending that the royalties go to the Boy and Girl Scouts of America. To our knowledge the royalties go directly to the Greater New York Councils, and through the years have provided program benefits to poor and disadvantaged youth in the New York area.
Answer provided by Allen Mossman who is a retired BSA professional with nearly 75 years of Scouting in his background. He retired with 30 years of service on the national executive staff and serves as the editor of Now & Then in which this question was posed; Volume 7 No. 1
