Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1912-03-30
Thus Far the Catholic Church
Has Taken No Officiai
Attitude.
Junior Holy Name Society Pro-
nOunced the Far Better
Place.
WHERE THE DANGER Turks

4
the Catholic clergy and the reasons
for their unfavorable view OF the
| Boy Scout movement, Truth answers
by saying that thus far the Catholic
church has taken no official attitude
toward the Boy Scouts This may
be owing to the fact that the organi-
zation is of very recent origin, that
il is not Of sufficient Importance, or
that the authorities of the church
have not been requested to take
official action thereon. After relat-
ing how the society was conceived
and organized twelve years ago,
Truth thus reasons:
From what we have been able to
learn from personal correspondence
and from occasional notices in the
Catholic press, we believe that the
consensus of opinion among the
priests and the Bishops is against the
enrolment of Catholic boys in this
organization. The words quoted from
the pen of the American founder OF
the organization reveal the danger
lur king for our Catholic boys in such
organizations as the Boy Scouts. For
Protestant boys we heartily COM
mend the aim and the methods de-
scribed, and precisely because we do
commend them for Protestant boys
we object strongly to the reception
Of Catholic boys in the ranks of the
Boy Scouts. 1t is the same question
Of the Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation all over again. We have no
objection in the latter organization
20 gymnasia and to swimming pools,
20 its courses of stenography and
typewriting, to its concerts and civil
service courses. of study, but notwith-
standing all this, every Catholic priest
ana iayman in the c0untfy Knows
perfectly well that the Y. NJ. G. A.
Is distinctly sectarian Protestant
work, and that the average Catholic
boy who belongs TO same runs a
great risk of losing his 'aith, and
consequently his morals. The pro-
moters of the Y. NJ. G. A., and those
of the Boy Scouts, loudly proclaim
that these movements have nothing
TO do with religion, that they are
not sectarian in character, that
boy will surely not be in danger Of
losing his faith because he frequents
the swimming pool or takes lessons
in rifle or drill practice. In answer
we say that the distinctly anti-Cath-
olic character of such organizations
IS none the less harmful because IL is
nsidious and not ex professo. The
usual plan is to decoy the Catholic
young man in the name of athletics,
civil sesvice positions. ETC.; little by
little he finds he is inoculated with
a drop Of poison in this or that lee
ture, elen though 1t be on geography
or astronomy; he is introduced to
this or that reverend minister of the
Presbyterian or the Episcopal
churches, he is assured that the con-
cert in which he is to take part,
although held in the Methodist
church, has really nothing to do with
iivine service; the periodicals which
ne finds on the library table and the
books which he is recommended to
read uncOnsciously dilute the strong
faith Of his childhood. the compan-
ionship of hundreds of young men of
all religions or of no religion. quietly
neresy, and the mixed marriage, with
the odds now heavily against him,
complete the story, From actual
knowledge We can say that this de-
scription is true OF many Catholic
young man in our large cities.
While the particularly offensive
regulation of the Y. NJ. c. A., exclud-
ing Catholics from office, does not
obtain in the Boy Scouts, the quiet
persistent Identification OF the or
ganizatiOn with the Protestant
church Is none the less apparent.
Into his ears will be poured the same
old tales OF the Y M. G. A. promoter:
This has nothing to do with your
| religion" "you can 90 to church
where you like" this movement Is
simply to teach us TO be brave, to
drill, to shoot. etc" Watch. however,
the occasional notices about the do
lngs Of the Boy Scouts in the daily
papers and you will find that the
Scouts were addressed by the Rev.
Mr.. SO and SO OF the Episcopal
church, that a Protestant minister
conducted religious services for the
Boy Scouts while they were off In
camp in such a place. etc.
A Catholic Boy Scouts organiza-
tion would be most welcome. II
might possess every feature OF
5eton's and Baden-Powell's Organiza-
ton, and with none OF the dangers
that we have pointed out. And SO. 10
sum up, there Is no particular
motive, act or regulation that We
can lay our finger upon and pro-
nounce II evil. yet when the average
boy with all his strength and frallity
Is considered, we say emphaticaily
that Il Is far better for him to be a
member OF the Junior Holy Name
Society 70 mix with his own Catholic
companions, to keep IN close touch
with his own pastor, even though he
8 too poor 10 compete with Prot