The National tribune., 1911-04-27
Boy and Girl Scouts.

tNO ne" DETERMINATIONS. OnS IS Lne
Boy Scouts. and now SONS rich vo-
men, who want new sensation, are
organizing what is called the Girl
Scouts. And sensible people OF the
humdrurn. work-a-day world grow
just a little weary OF 1t all. The world
seems to be running perfectly mad on
the subject OF Organization" The
writer can remember a few years baci.
when boys and girls had about all
they could accomplish outside OF
school hours in doing the small
chores about the home. There are
thousands OF tired mothers whose
burdened shoulders and aching backs
and heads could be tremendously
eascd il the boys or girls of whom
they are the mothers could be induced
10 scout around and help do the
work. If they would learn to wash
and iron. bake. scrub. make beds,
sweep and do housework generally;
II the boys and girls were made to do
these small. healthful tasks, they
would not have time nor would there
be any necessity for them to do out
side scout" work
The tendency of the present dag in
10 take boys and girls out of the
homes rather than to keep them in:
to teach them unusual amusements
that cost both time and money rather
than to instruct them in homely ac-
complishments which mean to them
and TO the home economy and saving.
Many a house has slatternly servants
and unruly boys and girls, the two
leading TO eXtraya gance and possible
heartbreak. when if the servants were
fred and the boys and girls brought
ir off the streets. out of shooting gall
leries, moying-picture shows, tavdry
dancing parties and from feeble imi-
tations of society functions" the boys
and girls would grow stronger and
healthier and the homes happier. be-
cause one who is useful naturally be-
comes happy.
Why not get back to nature" by
instilling Il little sound common sense
in the heads and hearts of boys and
girls, and later they will be able to
scout around for themselves and
have sense enough to separate good
from evil and choose the better
part"
This eternal effort to "amuse and
instruct the young is tireson1s. and
is bound to sound the death knell OF
originality. The boy who can make
his own cart is far happier in its pos
session than the boy who pays a. dol
lar for one. which he tires of in day.
hunting newer amusement. Tho
boy who made the cart developed
latent genius. and priced the thing
that cost him both time and labor.
The boy who bought his cart, know
ing that he could buy another, tossed
the costly toy aside, because he saw
in it neiter sentiment nor labor. 1t
represented to him only money
The girl who fashions her mother
instincts into rag doll loves the doll
because it cost her thought and tims
in its construction.
Both boy and girl in building their
own toys have exercised constructive
sense, and are by exactly that much
richer in a knowledge of household
economy.
The active sports of normally
healthy children are all right. but the
artificial reaching out for something
to "amuse' the young is all wrong.
Healthy children. if let alone, unham-
pered as to toys and sweets and taught
economy i'll the expenditure of the
pennies, do not need playground in
struction. II is natural for 4 boz to
play marbles. fly kites. play baseball,
mumblypcp and kindred sports Itis
SO natural, in fact, that he often
laughs at the clumsy. theoretical put
ting into practice of his INSTRUCTOR
things that have really come TO the
boy almost as d God-given inspiration.
Very young girls enjoy much the
same sports as their brothers. which
is quite proper. and neither of them
need to be taught those things which
come by instinct. 1t is the artificial
suppression of the exuberance OF
youth that make these innumerabIs
necessary.
For the homeless and friendless or
phans who must look to institutions
for board and keep scouting"
may be a necessity, but for
the boys and the girls of the homo
no" a thousand times no
There is p strong suspicion that
these scout" movements are being
advanced bv lazy fathers and mothers.
who find this a most delightful way
10 avoid their parental duties If these
boys and girls cannot be taught to he
gentle kind. humane, courteous,
thoughtful and unselfish in the home,
under the instruction of good parents,
here isn't any salration for them out
'idc of the home. And if these scout
are to take the place Of
he good old Biblical home instruction.
hen the State ought to step in and
axe the children at birth. and make
little human machines of them. About
he saddest place on earth is an or
Dhan asylum. where little human au-
omatons are taught by machine meth
DDS to do things exactly so on a GER
Gin hour each day. and originality is
lilled by scientific t1eorizing. The
lappiest place on earth is the little
home where parents and children arc
respecting each the others
lights. and all are growing like the .
strong. healthy tree straight toward
heaven.
The scout" organizations belong to
Institution life, and to the rich hunt
ng for some Way to spend money
hey are not needed in homes where
he parents arc alive to their respon-
Utilities for the little souls they have
'rought into the world.