The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-07-30
NEWS OF THE DAY
 IN SOCIETY WORLD Movement for Boys Discussed
 By Judge Feagin NOTES HERE AND THERE The GrowIers Entertain n Coterie of Friends at Dance-Movements of
 We'll Known People and
 Other Topics
NOTES HERE AND THERE
BY MYRTLE MILES


 The giant pines at Camp Hoadley, the little tents arranged at intervals through the grounds; boys. boys boys, of all ages and conditioks, scattered over the place, and High Chief of them all, MT. Willows, directing, encouraging and as- sisting in all of the sports enjoyed by the laughing, joyous youngsters-made fttink background for the picture pre- sented the other day as Judge Feagin with group of women about the Boy Scout idea. He had been reading the stories of Ernest Seton Thompsons or ganization in America and the same scheme as organized by General Baden Powell and told by Ralph D. Blumen- field in a recent issue of the Outlook. Their principles are gradually being in- culcated in our own southland. We find it in the schools which are adopting the self government plan, and in the boys clubs, which are teaching and inspiring the doctrine of manliness, helpfulness and brotherhood. In this annual camp at the Artesian wells, for example, there has never before been so splendid spirit of friendliness, self-reliance and of others blended to- gether. As Judge Feagin told his clever, practical ideas about the Boy Scout move ment, this gentle philanthropst was aglow with all the enthusiastic optimism that is his when he talks of his hobby-the Birmingham boy. And l thought how beautiful a thing it would be to see these wild young creatures organized in such body of helpers as he told us were described in Blumenf1elds and Payne's tale of Englands young scouts. Before I left the camp Judge Feagin gave me the pamphlet which he had been reading as he lay there under the trees in sound of the ball game and in sight of the barbecue table. l am going to tell some of the things that Blumen- fields story has made clear-principles which are being followed as well in Amer-- ica with such one as Ernest Seton Thompson behind it.
 According to the English writer the Boy Scout movement was born at Mafe- king during the long Boer siege, and he says that this siege, if for nothing else, was responsible for thing that is the English people from lethargy and indifference to the very heights of energy. intelligent co-opera- tion and chlvalry.
 There were a thousand white men In Mafeking, 600 women and children and 1000 natives. Some of the defenders of the town were killed and others were crowded into temporary hospitals, so that each mans value was more than trebled. A clever idea occurred to Lord Edward Cecil, chief of the staff He called to- gether the boys of Mafeking, talked with them and organized them into a body of scouts. Their duty it was to act as orderlies, carry messages and keep a lookout so that the men of the place could be on the firing line where they Mei'a So sorely needed. And this gave rise to a band of young heroes Mounted on bicycles the youngsters carried on their duties even through showers of Boer bull lets, and at the end of the war they received their medals like grown-up sol diers. One day. the story goes, boy came through a heavy fire with a letter and when an officer said to him: Some of these days you are going to get hurt riding around like that when the shells are flying. he replied, q pedal so rapid- ly. sir, they could never catch me-
 Those were the original Boy Scouts and abont two years ago General Baden-Pow- ell. returned to England. followed up the Mafeking incident with an experiment.. He collected some English boys, talked to them as the MafelSing boys were talked to. gave them uniforms and drilled them Then he told them of the Knights of King Arthur. gave them a camp and taught them woodcraft. Further, he showed them many of the mysteries of nature, and finally wrote book which he called Scouting for Boys His ides was to lead the boys, by the practice Of scouting to teach themselves character.
 The English boys immediately caught the idea and went wild to become scouts. They began teaching themselves to be- come scouts and throughout the country organized troops and patrols. Over hundred thousand scouts were banded to- gether within year and now nobody knows how many there are-country par ishes. towns and cities all have them, and t4lS IS Wlldt II iIltdilS-Hilc CT ttfCf . ls a railway accident. a fire or somebody falls into the river, boy scouts appear on the scene as if by magic. and give aid in ey- cry possible way. They are trained for ergencies-bandaginE giving aid to the. injured. stopping ruriaways, rescuing and resuscitating the drowning and what not. Rlumenfleld says: Tt Is all so simple and yet so wonderful that am surprised every day to think that no one ever thought of it before. All you ever have to do is to collect. say. dozen boys-raga- muffins. boys of blue blood and boys of red blood. anything SO long as it is boy. teach him the scout law. put him on his horror. stick him into uniform. and you have at once transfoi med the urchin into a blazins-eyed young knight errant; chivalrous, honest. honorable, and jealous patriot.
 If 1t has done nothing else this Boy Scout movement may be exalted for having brought shoulder to shoul- der side by side. the son of the duke and the son of the coster. In my own village have a troop composed of fcur patrols. My gardeners son is a leader of one of these patrols and my own son is tu the ranks. obeying cheerfuly the or ders of the youth who ordinarily ad- dresses him as sir and touches his hat to him: and so 1t runs throughout the en- tire length and breadth of the land. the pure foea of brotherhood.
 GenernI Baden Powell. who is the chief scout, outlines the movement thus: The whole object of our scheme is to siege the boys character in it's red-hot stage of en- thusiasrn and to weld 1t into the right shape and encourage and develop its in- dividualIty so that The boy may become a good man and avaluable citizen for our country
 They en,body d simple creed of honor and