Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1913-06-04
DELAWARE
SCOUTS SCORE
set Honorable Mention From
Among Seventy Troops
for Excellent Equipment

On Friday and Saturday Of last
week there was held at Cobb's Creek
Park, Philadelphia. the largest gath
ering of Boy Scouts ever held out
doors in this country. Dan Beard, the
illustrator, who is national scout
commissioner. declared in a speech
made to the boys at a campfire on Fri
day evening, that il was also by far
the best that he had ever witnessed.
There were $500 scouts present from
Delaware, New York, New Jersey and
Pennsylvania. Delaware was repre-
scented by a troop from Newark and
by Troop No 2, of this city, connected
with Old Swedes Church. The local
troop left early Friday morning car
rying blanket rolls and haversackE.
Each boy carried on his back his half
shelter tent, poncho blanket, extra
clothing, and in his haversack two
days rations with mess pan and tin
CUP The troop sent nothing in adj
vance. but packed on their backs all
their supplies. AS the majority of the
boys are under Is years old, this was
a very creditable performance, one
not equalled by the majority of the
Philadelphia troops present, who sent
their outfits ahead in wagons.
On Friday afternoon the entire camp
was inspected by Director of Public
Safety George ID. Porter, who is scout
commissioner for Philadelphia, and
his staff, including Colonel BETTER, OF
the staff of Governor Tener, and Su-
perintendent of Police Robinson. AS
a result of this inspection. which in
GUIDED appearance, orderliness, disci-
Oh f6p WI r41fn pfnn
Troop received honorable mention,
which ranked them about eighth
among the sixty or seventy troops
present.
The contests included signalling,
first aid. water boiling, antelope races,
dressing races and other exhibitions
of scout craft In the Morse signal
ling contest, the Wilmington troop
team composed of James Morford,
sender. and Fred Schafer. receiver.
with Warren Cooper and Edward Null
lin as assistants, won second place. In
addition they we're the only team who
had the proper equipment OF six foot
jointed pole and two foot flag.
While not winning prize in the
specialties contest, Troop No. gave
a very interesting exhibition, the diff
fcult nature of which was probably
not realized by the majority of those
witnessing it. They set up a hello
graph and by means of the reflection
OF the suns rays sent a message, In
COD we trust" given by the judges,
TO a second station, which had mean
time laid field telegraph to third
station. The message was relayed by
telegraph and sent back to the first
station by wig wag a nine-foot joint
ed pole and three-foot flag being used.
The apparatus used throughout was
the correct equipment as used by the
Signal Corps. and the boys carried
this difficult stunt" through very
successfully.
The discipline maintained through
out the encampment was of high
standard, and led Colonel Better to
make an offer on behalf of the State
OF Pennsylvania to send $50 Boy
Scouts TO the great encampment and
reunion soon to be held at Gettysburg,
the boys to act as orderlies. All ex-
penses throughout are to be paid by
the State. II has not as yet been de-
cided lust how many boys each troop
may send, but il is hoped that Troop
Ne. 2 will be represented.
The boys returned Saturday night,
tired out and sleepy. but elated over
the good showing they had made in
competition with the scouts Of four
States.