Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-05-26


appeals to the average boy irrespec-
tive of high moral ideas He wears q
uniform. for one thing. The normal
boy Graves a uniform. even q baseball
suit The scout wears the real khaki,
with golf stockings. belt and felt hat.
He carries gun. too. when he drills,
though It Il not loaded. He learns mil
itary tactics In the embryo.
But, above all. he marches with his
fellows to the Turing woods and learns
wooderaft. how to light his campfire,
pitch his tent, cook his meals. indicate
the points OF the compass. dash sig
nals-in fact, do everything trained
soldier may be called upon to do ex-
cept lie In trenches and shoot other
soldiers, and after being a boy scout
for few years he win know how to
do that If It becomes necessary.
Endorsed by Thompson Seton.
Ernest Thompson Seton, the noted
Canadian-American naturalist, is an
enthusiast In the boy scout movement
For some years Mr.. Seton has been or
ganizing bands Of boys in the study OF
woodcraft and Indian lore. The Brit
ish boy scouts must learn how to de
knots - the bowline, the f1sherman's
bend. the Glove hitch the reef knot and
the sheet bend. He must be able 70 fol
low an animals tracks Ter a quarter Of
a mile in less than fifteen minutes and
to tell his commanding officer the Kind
Of animal he is following. These
things appeal to Mr.. Seton naturally,
and they win become a part. Of the
American boy scout curriculum In the
great university OF the open air.
General Frederick Dent Grant, son
OF the civil war general, also has given
his hearty approval to the boy scout
movement in the United States. Cen
eral Grant looks at 1t more from the
military side as preparation for pos
sible future service, but he does not
overlook the ethical side OF the matter.
In common with many other eminent
Americans he realizes what grand
thing It is for growing lads to be tu-
tored In discipline, dignity and kindh-
ness. as well as to learn the haunts
and habits OF wild animals. to become
acquainted with the trees and the
flowers and imbibe the abundant lore
of tho big outdoors.
You oldish fellow OF forty or 6fty,
inst fancy having had In your early
teens the chance to don real uniform,
fall in line with all the other boys you
knew and lot OF them that you had
not known before, but wanted to know,
march in military order out along the
old red road between the rail fences
or the bordering woods and l.,-adows,
make camp. sleep in TENS. eat in
"mess," learn to wigwag. engage in
sham battle now and then, stand SEN
try, do scouting duty miles away from
camp and practice all sorts Of outdoor
exercises under the instruction of a
grownup man who knows howl
II you had had such opportunities
maybe you wouldn't have entertained
such a longing to learn to play pool
smoke cigarettes and otherwise be-
come what You considered smart In
those days.
Organized In Several Cities.
These boy scouts are not going to be
selected from the idle rich classes
merely. Any boy who IS willing to
undergo the discipline for the sake OF
fun and the general all round benefits
Is eligible to enlistment. Scout organ
Izations have been formed already in
several of the great cities-New York,
Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Los
Angeles. The promoters Of the move
nent In America are looking for eff
cient, earnest men in all cities and
towns to take charge of scout camps
and instruct the boys. 1t is the inten-
don to organize the scouts in every
state. One object Of the movement is
to keep the boys of the streets, where
they are inclined to learn things and
10 things not necessary to their future
welfare or the welfare of society.
The boy scout idea appeals with spe-
,ial force to the cities. where boys are
cooped up In apartments and t1ats, and
to all towns where the conditions OF
life are such as tend toward the stunt
ing OF physical growth by too much
or too little outdoor life.
healthy men. morally
healthy men-those are the cardinal
aims of the boy scout movement.
Well have girl scouts next Well,
Why not? England has them already.