The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1912-05-30
SCOUT HEROES
RECEIVE MEDALS

For bravery rendered by its men,
bers the organization Of Boy Scouts
awards handsome bronze and gold
medals. The recent rescue OF fellow
Scout BY members of the local troop,
makes interesting the story below,
written by Ionh Elfreth Watkins and
appearing in a recent sunday Oregon
ian:
We still live in an age of hero wor-
ship. But it is one Of the promising
signs Of our time that civilian heroes
who save life are coming in for share
of the glory and reward monopolized
hitherto by military heroes who take
life. Mr. Carnegie, through his hero
fund commission" has lately shown the
way toward such a consummation, and
now steps into line that vastly multi
plying Juvenile army Of ours, the Boy
Scouts of 300 900 strong
with a similar enterprise for fostering
the higher and truer spirit OF heroism.
The national council Of this juvenile
army of peace has authorized an
"honor medal to be conferred upon
each Boy Scout for whom it can be
proved that he risked his life to snatch
the life Of another from the Jaws OF
the grim destroyer.
But before such a precious decora-
tion can be conferred the evidence of
such youthful heroism must be inyesti-
gated by the court of honor Of the local
council of Boy Scouts, which may in
vite experts to share in its examina-
tions and recommendations If the
report is then favorable, the facts are
next presented to the court ofshoncr
of the national council, which is tri-
umyirate composed of Ernest Thomp-
son Seton, "chief scout Of America ;"
Daniel Carter Beard, national scout
commissioner, F." and James E. West,
national scout executive. his su-
preme tribunal, after carefully weigh
ing the evidence, awards or refuses the
honor medal, as it sees fit.
To the Boy Scout this new decoration
is as precious as is the famed Order OF
the Garter or of the Golden Fleece to
the aristiocrat of the Old World. BY
receiving the order upon his breast he
becomes one of our youthful knights,
and the insignia is token that he
may be depended upon to defend and
succor the weak and helpless and TO
exercise the chivalry of the young
knights of old who pledged themselves
to the defense of women and devotion
to their honor and persons.
1.-THE honor medal is a national hon
or, states the new handbook of the
organization. Like foreign orders it is
awarded in different grades. There is
a bronze cross awarded to a scout
who has saved life. 1t is worn sus-
pended from a bar by red ribbon.
Next higher is the silver cross award
ed to a scout "who saves life with con
siderable risk to himself. blue
ribon holds this to its bar. And the
highest and most coveted grade of all
is the gold cross, suspended from its
bar by white ribbon.
This gold cross ''is the highest pos
sble award for service and herosm. "
1t attests that its wearer "has saved
life at the greatest possible risk to his
own life. "
Each of these orders is in the form
of maltese cross, snperimp0sed upon
which is the American eagle and shield
of the first-class scouts badge. The
bar from which the medal is suspended
bears the admomton "Be Prepared. "
The decoration in whatever degree
awarded. is worn upon the left breast.
To date it has been conferred upon
q heroes, and | am indebted to Chief
Scout Executive West for descriptions
of the deeds of valor which have earned
them. But before describing some of
the most interesting of these rescues
it would be well to explain that con-
siderable space in the official handbook
issued to our Boy Scouts is devoted to
instruction in first aid to the injured
and endangered. Scout masters
throughout the country are placing
much Importance upon the training of
their armies in this work, in which the
scouts take much pride. Consciousness
that in case of emergency they are
prepared to help either strangers or
those near and dear to them soon
thrills them with satisfaction.