Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-14
BOY SCOUTS.
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

to God and country, to help others at
all times. to obey the scout law and to
| live up to its maxims
| There is in some quarters here and
| in England mistaken impression that
| the boy
! Requirements Are Strict scouts are
for Entering Scouts. t tarv orr m,n-
| ization. and that the real purpose be-
hind the movement is to feed a standing
army. Nothing could be further from
the truth. Before scout may wear a
hrst-class badge he must satisfy eX-
aminers in ten matters: First, he must
be able to swim fifty yards. He must
| have a shilling in the savings bank He
| must be able to send and receive a mes
sage. either in semaphore or Morse, six
| teen letters per minute. AS a test in
| self-reiiance he is sent off on a two
! day journey by himself, or with only
| write an ineligible report of things
! seen.
Then he must know how to deal with
various accidentS-ice-breakin electric
| shock. drowning, runaway horse or car
rage, and so on. He must prove that he
can make a damper cook a hunters
stew, skin and cook rabbit, or pluck
| and cook a bird. He must read a map
and draw sketcf- maps; use an ak for
Telling timber, and judge distance, area
size, numbers, height and weight within
% per cent error. Finally, he must bring
in tenderfoot. trained by himself in the
points required for a tenderfoot badge
From first-class scout he may rise
higher and higher by way of badges of
merit. The kings scouts win badges
showing they have passed tests in such
branches of scoutcraft as seamanship,
Workmanship. ambulance work, signaling
! and the craft of the guide. Other badges
of merit are given for proficiency in diff
ferent kinds of work. The idea here is
to encourage boys to do their work well.
The boy with engineering instincts builds
an aeroplane that will really fly or glide
and so wins the aviator's badge.
The explorer finds out every lane. by-
| path and short cut for al least two
miles in ey-
! Exploration Reward cry direction
| Is Pathfnder's Badge. 1oes, ma MS
quarters in the country. knows the gem
erai direction of neighboring towns for
| twenty-five miles, and can tell a stranger
offhand the history of any old castles.
churches or mansions. He wins the path
nnders badge. Others win ladges be-
cause they are clever gardeners cooks
surveyors, printers, plumbers or ppers.
Employers of labor RECOGNIZE taas,
badges. Seeking trustworthy boy service
they are beginning now 10 look frst
among the scouts.
The highest of the honors are meda1.
and badges for meritorions daaas
bronze cross fsr saving life at great risl.
SILVER cross Tor saving life without risk
a Heaai or merit for the scout who do
iiis GUY exceptionally well. Other fitting
hoiorS inspire and reward eallantry
ON many occasions, when active and
framed assistance has been needed
the boy scouts have not been foun5
wanting In aid or initiative For ex
| ample, there was recently a had u.ra,,
on the London and Brighton raiIuar
inc local scouts. who were ulayinn
loot ball when they heard of the acct
dent. rushed to the scene with their
ambulance stretcher. and for many
| hours calmly and promptly performed
noble duties of rescue among tho
Killed and wounded. giving the most
valuable help to DOCTORS police and
railway servants. On another occasion
that of King Edwards funeral pro-
cession through London--a crowd of
| more than quarter of a million peo-
! pie gathered in Hyde Park. Thousands
| upon thousands of people stood for
seven OF elSnl hours. hemmed in and
| crushed on all sides. enduring the pitt
| less sun. to see the cortege pass bv
I Vt every ambulance center boy scouts
We're in attendance, to aid the work of
revival carry patients. bring wafer and
! keep back the crowd. And when all
| was over and the crowd dispersed. the
! boy scouts tidied the park of rubbish
| and scattered papers.
| Full advantage is taken of the aver
, age red -blooded boys delight i'm
things out ioorS
Advantage Is Taken making carp
! of Boys Red Blood. r nss s'oN n''s
hunting, fishing. trapping, playing In
dian and the like. These pc fectly harm
less proclivities are seiz d and har, essed
for the boys own good. while he receives
practical training alorS lines mat teach
self-reliance. sef-controi truthfulness
courtesy, cleanl ness. mutual assistance
and the duty of extending uns fish help
to others-for no scout may accept a pc