Thus the success of the Badge System depends very largely on the Scoutmaster himself and his individual handling of it. Intelligence Observation and deduction are the basis of all knowledge. The importance of the power of observation and deduction to the young citizen can therefore not be overestimated. Children are proverbially quick in observation, but it dies out as they grow older, largely because first experiences catch their attention, which they fail to do on repetition. Observation is, in fact, a habit to which a boy has to be trained.
Tracking is an interesting step towards gaining it.
Deduction is the art of subsequently reasoning out and extracting the meaning from the points observed. When once observation and deduction have been made habitual in the boy, a great step in the development of character has been gained. The value of tracking and tracking games can thus readily be seen. The general intelligence and quick-wittedness of the boys can very considerably be educated by their finding the way with a map, noticing landmarks, estimating heights and distances, noticing and reporting details of people, vehicles, cattle, by the reproduction of Sherlock Holmes stories in scenes, and through numerous other Scout practices. Signalling sharpens their wits, develops their eyesight, and encourages them to study and to concentrate their minds.