The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-02-09
TROOP IS OVER
TWO YEARS OLD
Were Organized in 1910 by
John Bradford, Boys Sec
retary of the Y. M. c. A
Lieut.. Young and Four
Scout Masters Now in
Charge.

When fire broke out in a vacant
house at 519 North Giiillemarde street
last Tuesday night there were five
boys who resisted the temptation TO
stay on Palafox street and watch the
Mardi Gras parade and ran off to fight
the flames.
j. Ed. Williams, treasurer of Escam-
bia county, owns the property and he
is heaping kindly encomiums today
upon those five boys. He thinks they
are just the cheese-full cream. HeI
| Is telling about the way they got onto
the burning roof and kept many peo-
pie in the neighborhood busy passing
water up to them.
Those five boys are members of the
Pensacola contingent of Boy Scouts of
America Along with eighty others
they paraded down Palafox street yes
terday in the anniversary day pageant
Of their organization. None could
have picked them from the ranks, for
they have never reported that they
had anything to do with putting out
that fire.
They were identified by the khaki
suits which they wore; that's the only
way Mr.. Williams knows to whom he
is indebted. They didn't send him a.
and s0oty. nor did they send piece
! about themselves to the newspapers
They were rendering service: that is
the chief delight Of the Boy Scout.
1t would require canvass OF the
entire four companies in this city,
probably, to ascertain the names of the
five. 1t Is doubtful If they could be
gotten that way. The boys are mod
est; too modest to suit reporters. When
one of them saved two little, girls
| from the crushing tires Of a heavy
wagon recently, Scout Leader Her
bert Matthews turned in the following
report:
Long was knocked down pulling
two children out the way of a wagon"
It was of interest that one of their
number had been knocked down in
the performance of duty, but not that
| he had done duty. Duty is the first
word with the scout. BE Prepared"
is his motto; that comes next.
There are about ninety scouts in
Pensacola today, the organization
having grown to that number since :tl
was founded by John Bradford, Sec
retary Of the boys department of theI
Y. NJ. G. A., two years and half ago.
The organization has not grown to oneI
of formidable numbers since that day,
but it has learned the greatness Of do
ing good. whatever the cost. The
work with the boys has been intensive
and 1t has paid. Mr.. williams Is only
one Of several men of prominence
within the city to express the deter
mination to lend the organization his
support. There was a scout rally in
the armory a month or two ago and
Judge William B. Sheppard, Of the
: United States court reluctantly con-
sented to deliver an address. Judge
Sheppard is now attending the meet
ings of the scouts and even helps 70
administer the degrees, from tender
foot up.
The parade Of the scouts yesterday
was not of ordinary nature. It was in
commemoration of the founding OF the
Boy Scouts Of America-the third an
niversary. The boys marched down to
Paiafox wharf, then took the revenue
cutter Penrose to Santa Rosa island
and enjoyed an athletic meet. Some
of them wore medals home, then they
probably put them away and forgot
about them.
While the celebration of yesterday
marked the beginning of the fourth
year of the organization in the United
states, II might Well nave Deen more
local in its meaning for Pensacola was
one of the first cities to witness the
formation Of a troop. 1t was a citt-
zen's meeting which first saw the i'm
portance of having a representation
here. The committee met in the rooms
Of the now lamented Chamber of Com
merce and heartily endorsed the plan
They realized. too. that mere endorse
ment is hardly negotiable and they
filed In the check to cover That was
done by the appointment of a commit
tee or organization which included W.
K. Hyer, Jr., John radford, the Rev.
John Fl. Brown and Professor Caw
thorn.
The Boy Scouts were soon a concrete
certainty and Mr.. Bradford was very
successful with them. He was him
dered by lack of sub-leaders. however,
and the boys progressed with slowness.
After year or two r. A. MacDow-
ell came to Pensacola and took Mr.
Bradford's place in the Y. NJ. c. A He
took hold of the scouts with vigor and
began experimenting along intensive
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