The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1911-10-12
THE BOY SCOUTS.

Samuel A. Moffat, Business Secretary OF
the Boy Scouts Of America, Says the
Work Is Just Beginning. and Empha-
sizes the Need of Paid Secretaries. -
S. A. Moffat, Business Secretary of
the Boy Scouts of America, who recent
ly made an extended trip to the middle
west and the northwest, visiting many
organizations of scouts, has returned to
New York enthusiastic over the growth
of the Scout movement. 1t was his first
trip of inspection and he was greatly
surprised at the glimpse he got OF the
Scout activities in the different parts of
the country. Despite the establishment,
he is convinced that the scout movement
is just beginning to appeal to the boys
and that its growth in the next year or
two will be even faster than IN the last
year. The great need, he says, is the
employment of paid secretaries In each
city to guide the scout activities. He
says: Il feel have larger vision of the
possibilities of the movement, and have
returned fully convinced of the per-
manency of the Boy Scout movement IN
this country. The relative value OF the
Scout movement in any community de-
ponds upon the efficiency Of the Local
Council. If the members OF the Council
are fully alive to the opportunity which
this movement presents for effective
work among all classes Of boys, and are
willing to raise a sufficient budget to
enable them to employ Local Commits
sioner to give the work direction, there
can be little doubt as to its permanency
and its success in that community. If
the Local Council, however, is not COM
posed of men who have this vision and is
Indifferent concerning the questions of
securing an employed secretary, then
the work is bound to suffer as conse-
quence. Our Scout Masters for the
most part are voluntary workers, and
when they give one evening week, with
perhaps Saturday afternoon in addi-
ton, to the boys in their care, they can
not be expected to do very much original
work in preparation for the Scout Meet
ings. They need direction and want to
feel that there is some one in the COM
munity who knows scoutcraft better
than they to whom they can come for
advice and help. If this advice and help
is not Forthcoming without a great deal
of effort on their part, they become dis
couraged and give up the work.
Where proper supervision is given
the Boy Scout Movement is doing more
for the welfare of all classes of boys in
the community, irrespective of class or
religious distinction, than any other pro-
gram of boys work ever presented.
There are cities in the Middle West SO
thoroughly organized that every phase
of boy life in the community is being
reached by the influence of Scout ac-
tivities. The Movement is adapting it.
self not only to the wealthy boys of the
community, but to the boys of the
slums, to the newsboys, and to the for
eign boys alike. The Scout program is
proving practicable as civic enterprise,
because it can be successfully introduced
and promoted without the expenditure of
large sum of money for equipment and
running expense. A budget of from
$1,000 to $4,000 year will enable any
community to set up an effective organ
ization and employ a Commissioner. 1t
will be seen at once that the cost is in
fnitesimal compared with the POSSIBLE
ties for good citizenship which the move
ment affords.
Although this movement has but re-
Gently been organized in this country,
was deeply impressed wit? the apparent
effect that the Scout laws are already
having in the lives of the scouts through
out the country. l have never met a
class of boys of higher honor, better
discipline, and more obedient to author
ity than the boys whom l have met on
my trip. l have had abundant proof of
the fact that a Scouts honor is to be
trusted and that Scout is obedient to
those to whom obedience is due.
GAS social leveler. do not know of
any institution that is working out a
better feeling among boys generally
than is the Scout Movement. | have
been told by those in charge of institu-
tons for boys, where in the past the
authorities have had a great deal of
trouble because of race distinctions that
these same boys, as scouts, know no
class distinction, and are brothers in the
truest sense Of the word. The character
of boys of every class are being moulded
by the scout teachings and precepts. l
am convinced that the marvellous devel-
opment of the movement in this country
during the past year is but the begin
ming of a definite policy of work for
character building, which will increase in
efficiency during the coming years if
carefully guided by the National and
Local organizations.
After heavy meal take couple of Doan's