And the large proportion of those who do make some sort of a success would undoubtedly do better were they trained in a more practical way. In the Boy Scouts we can do something to remedy these evils. We can take some steps towards giving even the poorest boy a start and a chance in life equipped, at any rate, with hope and a handicraft. Naturally one's thoughts run to handcraft Badges. In either case, the boy is not so likely to become a waster later on.
Hobbies are an antidote to Satan's little games.
But hobbies or handicrafts are not likely to make a career for a boy without the help of certain moral qualities. Thus, the craftsman must have self-discipline. He must adapt himself to the requirements of his employer and of his fellow-workers, he must keep himself sober, and efficient, and willing. He must have energy, and that depends on the amount he has of ambition, of skill, of resourcefulness, and of good health. The boys find these tasks to be practical and useful to their comfort in the camping season.