The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-02-10
SCOUTS INFLUENCE WHOLESOME
This Aspect of the Movement Is Pointed
Out by James E. West.

The boy scouts invariably have
wholesome and mirthful effect upon thei
own immediate locality. Reports hav,
come into headquarters from men. scout
officers and women, telling of the change
among the boys in y neighborhood after
they have taken up scoutcraft. 1t i:
the change from boisterous mischief ia
merry, wholesome play, with the appre.
citation of the rights and comfort OF
] Others.
/ Here is an outward aspect Of the
scout movement which has not been
discussed says James Il. West, chief
scout executive of the boy scouts of
America. ut is the phase OF the in.
! fluence of the movement that would
not attract ones attention were it not
| for the fact of letters coming into the,
national headquarters from different
parts of the country bearing on this ON
thing"
Bearing on this point is an extract
from letter by Rev. T. S. Leonard
OF Athens, n. Y, who says, athens is
very much safer place for women and
children than before the boy scouts were
organized. The boys have been trained
to be on the lookout continually for any
rough bullys among the boys and in
the school they are particular to look
out for the little boys and girls. They
are told to stop bullying and if they
get into fight to see that they arr
not licked
Likewise writes G. II. Gaffin OF TT.
Smith, Arks. Not long ago a teacher
in our public schools came to me and
said: You ought to see what great
change has come over since he
has joined the boy scouts. Previous
to his entering that organization he
was wilful, stubborn and carried an air
of don't care and I'll do as j please;
but since he has Joined the scouts he
has become more gentlemanly, more re-
fined, more tractable and more honor
able in the class room and on the play
grounds"
Edwin hampshire, scout commission
er OF the boy scouts of America in
Jacksonville, Fla, gives this interesting
experience to show what the boy scout
does. I'm the spring of 1917.
a group of boys in Springfield, Mass,
caused great deal of annoyance by
their depredations. A. p. Irving, prin-
cipal of the Buckingham grammar school |
in Springfield, tried to get control of
this gang by various methods. His eff |
forts failed. At last he decided to try |
the boy scout movement He formed |
that wild gang into troop of boy
scouts, becoming their scout master. Tn !
boys became interested in scoutcraft |
and gave up their lawless practices"
A. r. Hewitt, scout commissioner Of
Ala, cites this incident OF
The change in boys after becoming scouts.
Il had case in developing some poor
md homeless boys into scouts. There
we're among them newsboys messengers
md also the riff raft of the city They
we're unelean in body, mind and soul.
they were embryo criminals. / inter
'sted them in scout work by taking
hem into the country. | taught them
he scout laws by actual application. | !.
occurred them better quarters in which
o live; | persuaded them to attend 4
ervices in the mission where we held
ur meetings. They soon ceased to use
'ad language, kept themselves clean and
ried to become better boys. | found
ONE good places of employment, where
here was chance for advancement, and
finally possessed a splendid little
roop." II