Edgar M. Robinson was Boys' Work Secretary of the International Committee of the YMCA

YMCA

The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...

 and a long-time director and executive with the YMCA in New York. He is notable for his significant efforts in helping to establish the Boy Scouts of America

Boy Scouts of America

The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...

 (BSA).

YMCA

Edgar M. Robinson attended college in New Brunswick, Canada. There he first became associated with the YMCA serving as chairman of the Boys' Work Committee and later developing their first camping program. In 1898, he was hired as the Boys' Work Secretary by the Massachusetts-Rhode Island State Committee.

While working for the YMCA in Massachusetts he attended the YMCA Training School, now Springfield College

Springfield College

Springfield College is a private, coeducational university located in the City of Springfield, Massachusetts. Springfield College is most famous as the site where the sport of basketball was invented...

. Robinson was appointed the Boys' Work Secretary of the International Committee in 1900. According to one history, "at the time, there were twenty Boys' Work Secretaries and 30,000 boys as members nationwide. Thirteen years later, there were 363 secretaries with over 120,000 youth in membership." Robinson developed camping programs, father and son programs, sex education programs, specialized work with employed boys and wartime programs."

Boy Scouts of America

During the years 1908 and 1909, Scout troops were starting almost sponteneously in locations across the United States, before the BSA existed, but following the publication of Scouting for Boys by Sir Robert Baden-Powell. A handful of YMCA centers were hosting troops, so Edgar Robinson had an interest in helping the BSA get off the ground so that his organization and others would have American-based resources for troop leaders.

In April 1910, Edgar Robinson persuaded William D. Boyce

William D. Boyce

William Dickson "W. D." Boyce was an American newspaper man, entrepreneur, magazine publisher, and explorer. He was the founder of the Boy Scouts of America and the short-lived Lone Scouts of America . Born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, he acquired a love for the outdoors early in his life...

 to appoint him managing director of the BSA for a limited time period, during which time Robinson secured a number of leading citizens to join together to form the Executive Board of the BSA. He then relinquished his role in BSA affairs, with the executive role eventually going to the newly recruited James E. West

James E. West (Scouting)

Dr. James E. West was a lawyer and an advocate of children's rights, who became the first professional Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America , serving from 1911–1943. Upon his retirement from the BSA, West was given the title of Chief Scout.-Personal life:His father died around the...

.

Robinson was recognized for his work in establishing the BSA with the Silver Buffalo Award

Silver Buffalo Award

The Silver Buffalo Award is the national-level distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America. It is presented for noteworthy and extraordinary service to youth on a national basis, either as part of, or independent of the Scouting program...

in 1926.

Robinson remained "the preeminent figure in YMCA boys' work until his retirement in 1927." In 2000 he was inducted into the YMCA Hall of Fame at Springfield College.