The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-03-24
ADDRESSES MANkATO BUSINESS
MEN AT NOON.
Educational Agencies; Instruction
in Many Things.

l.. S. Dale. northwest organizer Of
the Boy Scouts of America, address
ed number of Mankato business
men at noon today, at a luncheon at
the Y. NJ. c. A., explaining the or
igin and object of the movement. He
said in part;
THE Boy Scouts is an Organiza-
ton, the purpose of which is char
acter building for boys between
twelve and eighteen. 1t is an eff
fort to get boys to appreciate the
things about them, and to train
them in self-reliance, manhood and
good citizenship. 1t is peace-scout-
ing these boys engage in, living as
much as possible out of doors; camp
ing, hiking and learning the secrets
of the woods and fields. The move
ment is not military, but the mill
tary virtues of discipline, obedience,
neatness and order are scout vir-
tues. Endurance, self-reliance, self
control and an effort to help some
one else are scout detectives. The
aim of the Boy Scouts is to supple
ment the various existing educa-
tional agencies, and to promote the
ability in boys to do things for them
selves and others. The method is
summed up in the term scout-craft,
and is a combination of observation,
deduction and handiness-Or the
ability to do. Scout-craft consists
of first aid, tracking, signalling, ma
ture study, campcraft, woOdcraft,
chivalry, patriotism and other in
struction. This is accomplished in
games and team play, and is pleas
ure, not work, for the boy. The
only equipment needed is the out
of-doors, group of boys and a
leader.
Three Degrees of Scouting.
There are three degrees of scout.
ing, Tenderfoot. second class, and
first class. The boy passes from
one to the other by completing an
outlined course of study. After he
has completed all requirements he
may earn no less than $50 badges
of efficiency or merit, all of these
being awarded by the national coun-
Gil These badges are the same the
world over, and SO in way who
ever joins becomes member OF a
worldwide Brotherhood of Boys
Scouting is surely worth while.
1t makes the boys brain keen and
keeps his heart clean. 1t means a
brighter boyhood. and so better boy.
1t makes him more efficient as a
youth, and more full of purpose, and
it goes long ways towards max
ing him more helpful as a man, and
patriotic as a citizen.
Every Boy Wants 1t.
THE boy wants it. Every town
visited has organized Boy Scouts
and so universal is the appeal for
assistance in organizing that it
would take the organizer two months
to properly care for those towns
which already have placed their ap-
plication on file. Wherever an Or
ganization has been effected the
citizens speak of the effects in the
most glowing terms. The scouts
are useful members of the cOmmun-
ity. They are more courteous, more
polite, and more efficient than
other boys, and so they readily gain
both recognition and encouragement.
"The northwest is on the eve of a
great awakening as far as Boy
Scouts are concerned. They are
growing rapidly, and it is only a
question of short time when every
progressive city and town will have
it's patrols and troops. ] sincerely
hope the business and professional
men of Mankato will give this move
ment their hearty support and en-
enlargement Whatever will bene-
fit the boy will prove of benefit to
the community. A better boy means
a better man, better man mean a
better citizen, and a better citizen
means better commonwealth"
Twenty Attend Luncheon.
The luncheon was attended by
about twenty business and profess
sional men, and they listened with
rapt attention to the address by Mr..
Dale.
1t was left to a committee to Sc
lect council of fifteen or twenty
who will interest themselves in the
organization of a Boy Scout brigade
in Mankato The brigade will be
wholly non-sectarian and is to include
boys of all religious denominations.
1t is to be civic rather than religious
in its makeup.