| The pictures show front and back views of all (5) 1930s Junior Birdmen of America Club Advertising Premium Paper Items in this lot. These paper items are not dated but they are from sometime between 1934 and 1937 from the Hearst newspaper club. The first item is a four page member ''Flight Squadron Plan''. It pictures Uncle Same with a girl and boy holding model airplanes, (4) Jr. Birdmen of America wings pins including Commander, Captain, and Eagle, and a Charter certificate. The back has an unused order form. There is a Junior Birdmen of America letter that lists (22) Hearst owned newspapers across America. It is an Acceptance Letter. It states that included is a pin and membership card. The card is included in this lot but the pin is not here. On the back is a typed list of (11) booklets that could have been ordered for 10 cents each. There is a gold membership card with a girls name and the number is #34478. The card has a top right corner crease as pictured. Next is a Jr. Birdmen of America Aviation Library flier. It lists (12) handbooks that could have been ordered for 10 cents each. It pictures a wings pin and a boy holding a model airplane with a club wings patch on the front of his sweater. The back has an unused order form. The last item in this lot is an old glassine envelope which most likely held the wings pin and membership card when it was mailed. All of these items for one price! To judge the sizes the closed ''Flight Squadron Plan'' measures 8-1/2'' x 11''. These items appear to be in excellent or better condition as pictured. There are folds on some of these items as made for mailing. The card has a corner crease as mentioned above and some scuff marks on the back, both as pictured. Below here, for reference is some information about the Junior Birdmen of America club: Junior Birdmen of America
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Junior Birdmen of America was a club for boys interested in building model airplanes, founded (ca. 1934) and promoted by the Hearst newspapers, with the cooperation of the U.S. Bureau of Air Commerce. It is now best remembered for the song ''Up in the Air, Junior Birdmen'', which has been sung with a variety of lyrics to mock would be or inexperienced aviators. In a sequence in the 1955 film ''To Hell and Back'', Audie Murphy's infantry companions irritate a group of Air Corpsmen by singing a version of the song. Junior Birdmen of America ''Today Pilot of Models - Tomorrow's Model Pilots'' Officially launched on April 15, 1934 in every William Randolph Hearst owned newspaper in America (17 at the time) the Junior Birdmen of America (JBA) program was open to all boys and girls with an interest in aviation. In the early 1930s airplane mania was sweeping across America. Many clubs were formed, supporting the model airplane industry and teaching the youth of America the basics of flight. The Junior Birdmen of America is by far the most remembered club. For a mere 10 cents, you too could have joined the Junior Birdmen of America. By return mail you would have received your membership pin, membership card and details for organizing your own Flight Squadron. Membership was open to all boys and girls from 10 through 21, living in the United States and its territorial possessions, who sent in the required dime to one of the many Hearst owned major city newspapers across America. All who joined in the early days of the program received a special membership card with ''Charter Member'' stamped on it. Those who joined between the age 10 - 15 were Group ''B'' members and received a silver membership pin and silver membership card. Group ''A'' members; 16 - 21 years old received a gold membership pin and gold membership card. The program was delivered through the newspaper with daily articles and special Sunday articles. Areas covered included basic aviation lessons, local contests & national contests, flying articles by prominent fliers, annual banquets, ''Popular Pilot'' polls, trips to airports and airplane factories, and interviews with people of interest. Later, 10 cent handbooks were published and sent through the mail.
The program had 2 eras; 1934 until August 1937 when it was owned and controlled by the Hearst Newspaper franchise, and post August 1937 when the program became independent of the newspaper. It is thought that this pin with ''Hearst Newspapers'' on the wings is older than pins without words on the wings. Having the proper age level pin was a serious concern. Members were admonished that if they won a local contest and could not prove their age, they would forfeit their prizes.In the beginning the ranks were as follows; for the first 6 months of membership, participants were known as ''Fledglings''. After 6 months members could take a written test for the ''Eagle'' rank. Seven questions had to be answered correctly to pass. After another 6 months a written test could be taken for the ''Ace'' rank. Later, the Eagle rank could be achieved just 3 months after joining (and passing the written test). The Ace rank regulations were changed; the written test was dropped and the member had to place 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th in airplane model building in an official JBA event, only held twice a year. The Ace rank was a red, white and blue bar with ACE and silver stars on it. Commander bars were an elected position, and it is likely that the Captain bar was too. Officially in August, 1937 the Hearst Newspaper empire no longer ran the Junior Birdmen of America program. With offices in the R.C.A. building in Rockefeller Center, New York prominent aviation and officials such as Capt. E. V. Richenbacker, the Junior Birdmen of America took flight. Membership was 25 cents. The program no longer had the daily and weekly publication in the Hearst newspapers. Instead, a monthly magazine was produced. | 
