The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-06-01
BOY SCOUTS MAKE
THEIR DEBUT
Appear in Uniform AS
Escort to G. A. r.
Fine Showing by the Youngsters
ArOuses Much Favorable Comment
About Town.

America, appeared in uniform for the
first time Tuesday when the young
sters acted as escorts to the veterans
of the G. A r. Their appearance was
most creditable, and elected praise
on all sdies. The Troop was in COM
mand of Assistant Scout Master Guy
/ Thibeault, and Patrol Leaders Good
/ RICH Huckins and Morrill, were each
in charge of a company In addition
to acting as escorts, a detail from
| the Scouts assisted the ladies OF the
Relief Corps to distribute the floral
tokens destined for the graves of
the departed comrades.
The scout movement Is OF recent
birth, coming to America from Eng
land, where it was introduced by
Gen. Baden Powell, a hero Of the
Boer war. The purpose Is first of
all character building, and after that
an effort to get the boys to see and
understand the things about them In
appealing to the inhorn gang spir-
it, and training the members to rely
upon team work for results, the scout
movement is teaching the boys one
of the great and valuable lessons or
life.
The organization of the Skowhegan
Troop had been considered by the
members of the local Y. NJ. G.. A.
for a long time prior to the Bangor
Boys Conference, but when the local
delegation returned from that memoir
able event, a decision was reached in
short order. Mellen Gerry Plummer
was Immediately appointed Scout
Master by Scout Commissioner Head
of Waterville, and since that time the
organization has been developed as
rapidly as possible.
1t means a lot for a boy to become
a first class scout, and as yet all the
members of Skowhegan Troop belong
to the "tenderfoot" grade. Just to
become tenderfoot a boy must know
the scout laws, signs and salutes;
the composition of the national flag
and the way to fly it; four out of the
| following list of knots: reef, sheet
bend, Glove hitch, bowline, timber
hitch, fisherman's and Blackwell
hitch; and then take the scout oath,
promising to do his duty to God and
country, help other people at all
times, and obey the scout law. There
is no guess work about whether
a fellows knows his tests or not, for
an examining board consisting of the
assistant scout masters and the patrol
leaders goes into the matter careful
ly, and makes a written report to
the scout master. For promotion to
the grades of second and first class
scouts, the boys are required to show
ability to do a number of things that
are all useful in outdoor life.
Opportunities for being useful, and
at the same time getting good sport
cut of it, are legion in Skowhegan,
and numerous suggestions are now
under consideration by those in
charge of the summers program.
There will be hikes to convenient
picnic places for one thing, certain
necessary amount of swimming (every
first class scout must be able to swim
fifty yards), week end camp after
school closes, and other good things
besides.
The roster of Skowhegan troop at
present is as follows: Scout Master,
M. Gerry Plummer; assistant scout
masters, Harold Larry and Guy Thi-
beault; patrol leaders, Earl Huckins,
Blynn Goodrich, Carroll Morrill,, Cliff
ton Wheeler and Enrol Chase tender
foot members: Leon Ackley, Charles
Alexander, Bernard Bailey, Casimie
Bison, Lewis Brown, Alvan Buck
nam, Everett Burnor, Elliott Chase,
Donald Dumont, Emery Dyer, John
Emery, Raymond Fogg, John French,
Francis Friend, Matthew Green, JOS
eph Haskell, Morrill, Hoxie, Frank
Huckins, George Jackson, Lauriston
Jacobs, Wilfred King, Roy Lawrence,
David Lyon, Ralph Merriam, Warren
Merrill, Harold Pooler, Libby Pulsi-
fer, Brooks Savage, Charles Sheridan,
Harry Steward, Harry st. Ledger,
Harold Symons, Joel Taylor, Alfred
Thompson, Alexander Thomson, Her.
man Tracy, John Wadsworth, Allen
Wentworth.