posted
"The Primary Trail Builder Song" as quoted by President Thomas S. Monson in the Ensign, April 1994. pp.65-68:
quote:Oh we are the boy trail builders, Out west where the sunsets glow; Where the brooks flow down like silver From the heights of the virgin snow. …
Our light is the light of virtue, Our strength is the strength of youth; Our trails are the trails of honor, For we build with the stones of truth.
By Theodore E. Curtis. For the full song, see Children’s Friend, Nov. 1925, p. 443, or Primary Song Book (Salt Lake City: General Board of Primary Associations, 1927), no. 147.
posted
I bet the part that you quoted is part of the song which was partially quoted by President Monson. It says to look in the Children's Friend for the entire song.
posted
Complete words from "The Primary Song Book" (copyright page missing from my copy, but this is the book that immediately preceded the Green book from my childhood, which preceded the orange Sing With Me, which preceded the current Blue/Multi-colored Children's Songbook--so I'm guessing mid 1930's or so):
quote:Oh we are the boy trailbuilders, Out west where the sunsets glow; Where the brooks flow down like silver From the heights of the virgin snow, We build our trails through the valleys, Where the heart beats light and free, Out here in the west from pine clad crest, To the shores of the rolling sea.
Our light is the light of virtue, Our strength is the strength of youth; Our trails are trails of honor, For we build with the stones of truth, Our course is straight as the arrow, With a faith that's firm and true, Our guide is the rod of the Word of God As revealed to the world anew.
Interesting. You can see some foreshadowing of later scouting principles (The Arrow of light, for example--the Webelos program would be a few years off yet at the time Theodore E. Curtis penned these lines), as well as terminology that continues to echo in the pens of auxiliary heads raised during that era (Strength of Youth).
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posted
But in re-reading your question, Randy, it sounds like you're asking about another song. Given that Trail-builders was the name of a class way-back-when, it would not be surprising if there were more than one song. Let me go look in a couple more books. Back in a sec.
(and yes, I was looking for an excuse to do ANYTHING but study!)
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posted
Looking in that small yellow paper-backed MIA Sing... nope.
Now trying the 1949 Recreational Songs (red cover, for Mutual, has extremely cool content)... nope. Really cool stuff for Explorers, M-Men, Gleaners, Womanho (oh my goodness, can you imagine using that class name today?!) but not for Trail-builders, which must have been a Primary class name.
I don't have the 1951 Green primary songbook (it's on my list of things I'd like to have someday). Sorry I couldn't be of more help.
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posted
The Trail Builders were actually 3 primary classes for boys: the 9-year olds (Blazers, symbolized by a yellow ax) the 10-year-olds (Trekkers, symbolized by a blue wagon wheel) and 11-year-olds (Guide Patrol, symbolized by a red arrow).
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posted
So I'm not the only former Trail Builder boy here. Cool. We can sit on rocking chairs and reminisc about memorizing the Articles of Faith when they still had words like "viz" and "etc."
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I found this, I think it is the same thing Tendril found:
quote: Our Trailbuilder hymn inspired in us a love for the out of doors and a desire to camp and enjoy the mountains as well as inspiring us to noble thoughts and deeds. I remember singing with all my heart the words that even after seventy four years I still remember most of them.
THE TRAILBUILDERS' HYMN
Oh! We are the Boy Trailbuilders; Out west where the sunsets glow.
Where the brooks flow down life silver from the heights of the virgin snow.
We build our trails through the valley where the heart beats light and free.
Out here in the west, from the pine clad crest to the shores of the rolling sea.
Our light is the light of virtue; Our strength is the strength of youth.
Our trails are trails of honor for we build with the stones of truth.
Our course is straight as an arrow with a faith that is firm and true.
Our guide is the rod of the word of God as revealed to the world anew.
posted
This link has some primary songs, including something called "Builder Boys" and the trailblazer song. However, I think you have to join to see the actual song verses,etc so all I could access was the contents:
posted
So Randy, you probably remember when Zion would "be built on this [the American] continent", and when Section 116 was still an incomplete sentence.
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The Builder Boys (#171) seems to be an adaptation by Mildred Cahoon of some previously existing song, and the words are as follows:
We builder boys have many things to do, We wear a smile that keeps from feeling blue; When we co tramping, camping, sailing, We will live up to our trailing.
We will not fail to blaze and trek and guide Searching for truth that waits on ev'ry side, And when the Flag flies ev'ry boy cries Loyalty to thee and home forever.
Play fair, win square, We'll be Scouts you know, Learning as we go, See our numbers grow! Ever true we'll build our trails along From day to day in just the real trail builder's way.
********************
Here's another one, #169 called "Here We Come" by Eleanor B. Thomas with music by Mildred T. Pettit.
Trail Builders we, so brave and true Marching along, marching along, Our light will shine forever through Marching along, marching along, So here we come, singing a song Singing a song together, A song that tells of tender care Of peace of love and courage rare Of hope that every brightly shines Of arms that round about us twine So here we come singing a song Singing a song together.
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I had to look up Section 116 but I recognized what you were talking about when I saw what it was about.
Yes, you really had to read the heading to get it in the old edition.
And yes, I remember "this, the American continent." That probably never made any sense for people not on this continent (or should I say that continent?).
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posted
Someone solved the mystery just 17 days ago on an anti site.
Thanks, guy:
Trail Builder boys are happy At home and across the sea. Life's a joy for we have freedom To become what we want to be. The joy of the gospel guides us Over paths our leaders trod. With courage strong, we move along On the trail to the priesthood of God.
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posted
Randy, I just have to ask, but you (of course) don't have to answer: Why are you visiting an anti site? Ever since I can remember, we've been cautioned to stay away from anti-LDS literature and now that the internet has such a large presence in our lives, we're cautioned to steer clear of anti-LDS sites.
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posted
I've honestly never been so cautioned. There was once council to avoid pseudo-intellectual symposia which attempted to reason away the truth claims of the church, but that's hardly counsel to avoid "anti sites".
FARMS (part of BYU) was set up in part to research and respond to anti claims.
The net was full of LDS apologetics years before we ever got the official word to go forth and establish an online presence.
When I told the Bishop I was going to attend a few "are Mormons Christians" classes thrown by the local mega-church, he just asked me to come back and report - he was interested to hear about it too.
posted
MY dh and I joined in 1964, because caysedai was 3, I got a primary calling and we sang Little Brother Veg. and the next favorite was the Noble Duke of York.
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posted
I dont remember Randy's song. I was a primary Blazer in 1945, and then the rest thru 1947. I became a Deacon and a scout in 1948. In those days we had to be nominated by an older scout to get into the program. And the song fron 1925 CF is the one I knew. I sang the song when I read Randy's first post, hadn't even thought of it for 62 years!
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Would you feel better about my visiting an anti web site if you knew that
(1) this is one of those songs that just plays itself over and over in the head, and I really didn't want that to happen for the rest of my life without at least knowing all the words, and
(2) Google found it for me because I was curious if anyone had put the words anywhere on the Internet. I'd never heard of that site before, and I'll probably never go back there again unless Google finds that the information I want is there and no where else on the Internet.
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The song is probably too new for you to remember, and to old for most of the rest.
I was a Blazer in 1964.
Seems like no one remembers it. Maybe that's because it was written by a lady from my ward. Not saying that's what happened, but if it did that would explain why no one's heard it.
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posted
Randy: Yes, it did make me feel better. Thanks for the explanation, even though you didn't owe me one. I hope I didn't offend you.
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That song goes trough my mind often -- your version. My grandmother was the teacher/leader of the Trail Builder Boys in Primary in the early 1960s. I remember visiting her in Logan, UT and she asked me to help her teach the song to her boys (I was about their same age.) So I really had to learn it -- I forgot the same part you did, so it's great to have that fill-in all these years later.
It's my fault, I should have been more careful about explaining my source, and why, so I didn't get anyone concerned. The little me on my shoulder with the horns, tail, and pitchfork likes to tell me to say things in a shocking way. For some reason I listen to him more than the other me with the wings and halo. Actually, can't remember the last time I heard from that one.
And no, you didn't offend me, not in the slightest. No one on Nauvoo has ever offended me.
Kacard,
It's delightful to know that someone besides me and one disaffected former chuch member remembers this song. It really was a catchy tune. Keeps going through the mind of the person that posted it on that other site, too.
[ November 07, 2010, 03:04 PM: Message edited by: Randy ]
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posted
I have just started reading the bio of Pres. Monson- "To The Rescue". In the third chapter which I started tonight, there is quite a bit about the song and his experiences being a trail blazer boy and the teacher who taught him. Anyway, I remembered your quest for that song (random things we remember from Nauvoo ) and came to share this info..
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No, you shouldn't have. Because then Loudmouth wouldn't have had the opportunity to give me a badly needed chuckle for the day.
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posted
But Pres. Monson couldn't have been a primary trailblazer during the 1950's (could have been a leader, of course). And I am really amazed that the 8-11 boys had bandelos with the plastic pieces for memorizing scriptures and articles of faith too, just like the girls that age had in the early 1960's. I wonder which came first?
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