The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-03-15
CENTS
BOY SCOUTS "A MASTER
SERMOh
Delivered by Rev. A. l.. Whitaker az
Grace Church Last Sunday Even
ing.

The Honesdale Troop of Boy
Scouts listened to an eloquent ser
mon delivered by Rev. A. L. Whit
tiker in Grace Episcopal church last
Sunday evening. Twenty boys and
Scout Master e. G. jenkins attended
in a body in uniform. The rector
chose his remarks from Matthew
8: 1896.
Boy Scouts of America, in the first
place ! wish to tell you how much
| appreciate the honor and the privi-
lege of addressing you-and why.
There are those who would doubt
less say, that is strange, that you
should care so much to speak to
such an unimportant organization.
Why, they are only boys! Now that
is the very reason why | consider
it valuable privilege. 1t is my
reason for looking upon you as not
an unimportant society, but one of
the most important societies which
we have. Just because you are
boys. Because you are boys, you
have the future with you. You have
it in your very grasp, IL you will
take tiff you will just reach out
your hand and take ~ Vow arc 'Ne
coming men of the town and OF the
state and of the nation. "Umim or
tant," does someone say? / say,
Most assuredly, no! Most important
of all are these boys who are going
to do things in the years to come"
The principles upon which your
order is founded are thoroughly
Christian. And so / am placing be-
fore you the picture of the Master
of the Christian church on his round
of loving and intelligent service to
His people. And He had compassion
on the multitudes. Those two
things / would emphasize as main
precepts for you young men of the
Boy Scouts of America. You should
be unselfish enough to be interested
in the depravities and the needs of
the people. And you should be will
ing to give of your money and
goods, and of your time and strength
for the good of mankind at large.
You should be philanthropists.
When young man is casting
about for a life work, one of the
things for him to consider is wSeth-
er the field which he has in mind is
overcrowded or overworked. You
will find this field of philanthropy
in the sense of taking an intelli-
fellowmen is not oyerworked.
1t is the unthought of things,
the important things, which you
BOY scouts are ba sded together to
do. You are to be thoughtful that
cidents of life and the embarass-
ments and unpleasant things of
life happen not so much because
someone has been actively and posi-
lively selfish, but because they have
not been unselfish enough to think
of the welfare and comfort of others.
This is one of the things which
makes the glory of your order, that
you are to definitely set yourself the
task of being thoughtful for the good
of others.
But now l am going to say what
| believe to be the especial mission
of the boy scouts. 1t is simply to
bring back courtesy into our Amer
lean life. Everywhere you hear the
complaint that the youth do not
show the good breeding which they
once did, that kindness to the aged
and respect and reverence for the
things which deserve them are not
shown now as they once were.
do not know whether that is true or
not. We are perhaps too apt to cry
out that the good old days are gone.
| only know that there is a vast deal
of jostling upon the streets, of in
science and impudence, which would
impress well-bred strangers to our
shores with the feeling that we
Americans were a barbarous people.
Now a foremost endeavor of the boy
scout movement is to instill the
| spirit of courtesy into the inmost
/ heart. | wish to say right here we
Americans have the instinct for
courtesy in our hearts as perhaps no
other people. But we are oftentimes
| too SLOW about showing it. But IL
we fail to show it, the effect on 9TH
ers in our common life is like a
| cloudy day, when it might have been
| filled with sunshine.
Now | started with a text which
gave a brief picture of what our
! Lord and Master Jesus Christ did in
Palestine of old. Let me close with
! the earnest advice that in order to
4 be better scouts and truer gentle
men and more helpful men in the
town and nation you will more and
more hold before your eyes that
model man and gentleman. He was
the Son OF God. But He was also
the finest and truest man who ever
lived. His kindness was a feeling
deeply seated in the heart His gem
tie courtesy was unvarying. HIS
mind was pure and free from base
ness. His love for mis- fellowmen
was strong, even to death. BY be-
ing faithful to His memory and help
ing to the extent of your ability In
whatever body of Christians which
you happen to owe allegiance, you
will help in the great work of max
ing His standards of love and mercy
and helpfulness the coming stand
ards among men. 1t will help you tC
} be good scouts and be also genuine
Christians
Wayne County Farmers Indicted.