The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1910-08-18
The Rise of the Boy Scouts.


highlands or camped under the shade
of some wayside grove. On school
holiday in London, Manchester, Liver
pool and other large centres these
same groups, under the commando of
an elder lad, could be seen making
their way on foot or by tram toward
the suburbs or parks with an air
that seemed to say that they had
serious and interesting work before
them-work and play combined
for they were the already famous Boy
Scouts organized two and half years
ago by General Sir R. S. Baden
Powell. BaGen-Powell, it will be re-
membered, is that same doughty SOL
dier who held Mafeking against over
whelming odds in the South African
War, and who distinguished himself
in other ways, until in the last de-
cade he has become one of Great
Britain's popular heroes, classed with
Earl Roberts and Lord Kitchener.
Intensely patriotic and believing
| firmly that the future of his country
depends on the type of young men it
produces, he founded the Boy Scouts
as a practical school of manliness in
which love of God and country,
| courtesy, courage and sense of true
honor should be inculcated. The idea
took at once with the public, and
there are now enrolled in Great
Britain over 100000 Boy Scouts, who
have taken the Scouts pledge, and
who are manfully trying to live up
to the high ideals taught in the
Scout law. Some time ago twenty
thousand Scouts assembled in Lon
don and under command of their su-
perior officer marched through the
streets while the cheering crowds
gave ample evidence of the strong
hold the new movement has on the
public mind. Now Canada has been
swept with a similar wave of en-
thusiasm and the Boy Scouts are
there numbered by the thousands.
Here in the United States patrols have
been formed from Massachusetts, to
Kansas, and every week come in re-
ports from Young Mems Christian AS
sociations, Sunday-schools, boys clubs
and other organizations interested in
the welfare of the boy, taking up the
idea and forming patrols. Seven or
more boys may form patrol. Three
patrols form troop.
= Some people have conceived the
erroneous idea that the Boy Scouts
are being trained exclusively for mill
tary purposes, whereas the truth OF
the matter is that they are being
trained for good citizenship. OF
course, the military virtues-such as
obedience to properly constituted
authority, respect for the commands
of the officers. truth and courage
are in the rules and regulations to
which they subscribe, and rightly so.
Out of the thirty-six badges which a
Boy Scout may obtain by performing
certain services only one is given OF
military character. In fact, Baden
| Powell refers to the Scout move
ment as peace scouting" 1t is a
character-forming movement for boys
who are just at the age when they
are reaching the two roads, one lead
ing to an upright, honorable career
where high ideals are found, the
other which leads downward, ever
bending away from true attainment
and honorable success.
Recently mass meeting was held
in New York and plans laid for form
ing a permanent central committee.
A temporary committee was selected,
which will later report on the best
plan for a permanent organization.
Among those taking an active part
we're General Wingate, Ernest
Thompson Seton, the naturalist and
author, Dan Beard, known to every
boy in America, and leaders in socia!
work, settlements, playground asso-
Citations, Sunday-schools, and the
Young Mems Christian Association.
Among the latter was Mr.. John L.
Alexander, who for several years has
been active in work for boys, and
who for the present has devoted him
self to this new work of organizing
the Boy Scouts of America. He is
just the man for the place. Full OF
enthusiasm over the subject, he has
made others as sanguine as himself,
and is enlisting the aid of prominent
men all over the country. The head
quarters are at 124 East Twenty
eight street, New York. Ernest
Thompson Seton has just completed
the Scouts Manual, similar to Baden