The daily sentinel., 1912-05-16

spirited persons.-By George Bull
lock of Grand Junction, in the st.
Louis Mirror.
The Boy Scout movement. though
probably organized as military kim
dergarten, is finding favor, after hav-
ing discarded the use of arms, the
teaching of the manual of arms, the
duty of servant to master and EN-
ploye to employer las were found in
the earlier hand-books) and upon
the public assurance that militarism
has no claims upon 1t.
War has become SO abhorrent, since
the world has come to understand
that it is, largely. the instrumental
ity for commercial exploitation, that
there are but few parents who would
not safeguard their sons against its
lure. So inglorious has it become
within the last decade (though the
army of the unemployed has been
constantly on the increase) that. for
want of recruits. the military service
has become anaemic; therefore, just
to the extent that the Boy Scout
movement vindicates itself by organ
izing the boys for general efficiency
and unified coordination. are insid-
ious methods likely to be employed
for its seduction, as feeder for the
| military service.
1t makes no difference where the
movement originated, who originated
1t or what its purpose was. He did
not patent 1t: so 1t is no more within
his control than ours. We are only
concerned with its reality and po-
tentiality. It's maverick, and who
shall brand it?-those who finance
1t? You may or may not be one of
them; but, whether or not you are
has nothing to do with your right
to take an active interest in it, just
as you do in your public schools, of
which it is really an adjunct. The
man who contributes is SUPPOSED
to be actuated thereto by public spir-
1t; but, whatever his motives may
be, he acquires no vested right in the
boys that is paramount to yours, and
to assume that he does-in short, to
stand upon punctilios-in such case
is to occupy position comparable
with that of the society man. who.
when he found his wife in a COM
promising position with a stranger,
couldn't do anything because he had
never been introduced to the man.
Not that you are supposed to butt
in out OF mere propensity, any more
ton of ownership.
Many persons who recognize the
inceptive virtues of the movement
still say that we should fight it be-
cause ofsa suspicion derived from its
lineage and military cast of feature
and its susceptibility to reversion to
militarism, Notwithstanding its very
marked recession therefrom. The
logic of this, reduced to an absurd
ity, is to kill the boy because he has
in him the possibilities Of the SOL
dier-kill the colt, lest he be spoiled
in the breaking.
Every good has in it the possibili
ties OF evil; and. If vice were not
abroad in the land, virtue would lam
guish.
The scout takes an oath that he
will do his duty to God and his coun-
try and obey the scout law.
An oath, for any purpose, is good
thing to drop. 1t is an atavism of
superstition--a sort of vermiform ap-
pendix of mans moral makeup. II
puts no higher value upon truth; it
adds nothing to obligations fidelity.
The scout law enjoins: First.
TRUSTWORTHINESS If the scout
does not do EXACTLY a given task,
be directed to hand over his scout
leader, home, parents and country
Third HELPFULNESS. Fourth.
FRIENDLINESS. Fifth, COuRTE-
BUSINESS. Sixth, KINDNESS. Sew
enth, OBEDlENCE-to parents. the
scout master, patrol leader and all
others duly constituted in authority
Eighth, CHEERFuLNESS. Ninth,
THRIFT Tenth, BRAVERY. He
will stand up for the right against
the jeers or threats of enemies
Eleventh. CLEANLINESS. Twelfth,
REVERENCE. The scout is reverent
to God, faithful in his religious du-
ties and respects the convictions of
others in matters of custom and re-
ligion.
The scout motto is BE PRE-
PARED" which is interpreted to
mean that he is always in a state of
readiness in mind and body to do
his duty-to be prepared in mind by
having disciplined himself to be
OBEDlENT, etc.
Now these are high-sounding and,
in the main, virtuous virtues. Much
Is also said about patriotism and rev.
erence for the flag. But, now let us
| S'PPoSS "a N"Sc Via Sicat idpoT Sllihe,
such as that of the woolen workers
of Lawrence, or the coal miners of
England, or one of the many which
we know that the conflict between
capital and labor will from time to
time hatch out, and the boys are
| given arms and admonished by their
scout leaders of their oath to do their
duty to their country and obey the
/ scout law; that they are TRUST
| WORTHY and answering, LOYAL
to scout leader and country, OBEDI-
ENT to scout master and all duly
constituted authority; they are
BRAVE, and they are PREPARED:
they are organized for PEACE. and
the constabulary are the preservers
/ OF the neace- the renresen Ia fiNas- of