The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1911-03-10
Some Facts About the Movement That
is Spreading so Fast in United
States.
4 BEMIDJ1 MAN INTERESTED
L. S. Dale, Northwest Organizer, Will
Visit Here and With Reverend
White Start Patrol.

''The whole object of our scheme is
to seize the boys character in it's red
hot stage of enthusiasm and to weld
it into the right shape and encourage
and develope it's individuality so that
the boy may become good, man and
a valuable citizen" .-.-- %
This is the object of the Boy Scout
movement as expressed by Sir Robert
Baden-Powell, father" of the Boy
Scout idea and Chief Scout in Eng
land. q,
But it is the way this object is &C.
complished that appeals to boys.
There is certain amount of energy
in the boy that he's got to get rid
Of If he dosen't do something good
he'll do something bad. Scouting
gives him something good to do
something that appeals to his i'm
imagination, fires his spirit of chivalry
and strengthens his sense of honor
1t takes him out into the open and
teaches him the lore of the woods,
the handicraft of the pioneer, and
absolute self-reliance at the same
time that it builds him up physically.
1t is a practical, common sense educa-
ton presented in such form that no
healthy red-blooded boy can resist
its allurements.E. ST. = - -
Six or eight boys form a patrol,
named after some animal, and head
ed by patrol leader who is himself
boy. Two or more patrols form a
troop, which is in charge of a scout
master, who must be a man, and
should be one who remembers how
life appeared to him when he was a
boy-a clean, energetic man, with
imagination enough to enter into the
scout work with the same enthusiasm
as the boys themselves. 1t is not
hard to persuade such men to take
up, the work, for it just such men that
the work appeals to-the opportunity
for doing good attracts them. =
Weekly meetings are held at which
the boys practice such features of the
work as modifying, first aid and ban
daging, signaling, memory work,
compass reading, and score of other
things, while they make plans for
their scouting excursions into the
country. On these excursions they
track, judge distances and direction,
observe animals and trees, cook
meals, build shelter camps, and do
other things that may be suggested
by a resourceful scoutmaster.
/ There are three degrees of scouts,
and the scout advances from one de-
gree to another only on passing a SET
examination on the most practical
subjects. - .-.- ,s~.~ -.-.
To attempt to go into details of the
work is futile, for they would fill
volumes But there are two things
that stand out very clearly. One il
the Boy Scout motto, s'Be Prepared
The other is part of the Boy
Scout law-oh, yes, they have laws
not SO stringent as to scare boy out
just enough to hold him in check
without infringing upon his liberty
In this law, which scout pledges, or
his honor, he will obey, the scout
promises to do "a good turn" every
day. It's the old golden rule again
practically applied.
Such is the movement which ha.
spread over the United States in les!
than year, which has enlisted boy
by the hundreds of thousands, ant
which has been taken up by clubs
societies, individuals and churches
The men behind the movement ar,
proof enough of its character. Pres
ident Taft is the honorary president
Theodore Roosevelt is vice presiden
of the national committee, Ernes
Thompson Seton is Chief Scout, ant
Admiral George Dewey. Clifford Pin
chot, David Starr Jordan, Dan Bearl
and Jacob Riis are among the Mt!