The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1913-06-06
OCALA, FLORIDA, FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 1913
THE BOY SCOUT MOVEMENT
the Editor Ocala Banner:

purpose, or at least this is the repu-
tation given me.
To explain matters, have been ask
ed many times why I do not organize
the scouts again.
Nov, may l ta}a the liberty to ask
the same question, why don't you or
ganize the scouts?" l hear you an
swer Immediately, Il have not the
time" Then, l may add to this You
can't forget self-interests long
enough"
shall, in a few words, explain my
position on the movement:
First, do l believe in the scout
movement? viii say with all my
heart that l do, and the man has my
sympathy who doesn't believe in it. If
you really believe in our boys (your
boys) you would believe in the scout
movement.
Second. l had charge of the scouts,
with Mr.. Peabody's assistance (and
he is a good assistant) for about a
year. Did | in that time have an Of
fer from any of the good people for
a room to meet in? Did / see anyone
rushing to my assistance with ad-
vice. moral support and a few dollars
to help the movement? Not to my
recollection.
1t may be that you know what it is
to have forty or fifty boys meeting in
your office rooms. Have you ever
seen fifty live boys together in one
room? I expect you will find it in the
same condition when they leave as
when they came in?
Third, l think the majority of the
people know that / am busy man;
that it takes work to look after an
active practice; of waiting on fifty to
seventy-f1ve office people daily, as
we'll as outside work Consequently
l could not devote the time to it that
| should twas compelled to break az
pointments time and time again with
the boys) without neglecting my bus
mess.
Why did | drop the movement?
Want OF support, mostly from those
who should have given it. AS far as
loss of time, money spent, office as
ages, that is a small matter. | feel
that | have been we'll paid if | have
but placed one boy on the road to get
out of life what there in reality is in
it for him.
Dropped the movement, did I say?
Not by any means. Just wanted to
see what the good people thought OF
heir boys. Just wanted to see If
they would rather have their boys
learn of the venerable woods, the
meadows green, the golden sun, the
solemn decorations of nature, and her
moods, the various language it teach
es. with its voice of gladness and ell
Oouence of beauty. or to let our boys
have no set purpose in life, to get
their teachings add instructions at
times and places and from persons
who have no knowledge of and care
less for the tender adolescent boy.
If your business called you at times,
night and day, in lanes and by-ways-
as mine does-you might know where
hnt
thought he was at home, and it might
give your spinal column a shock also.
And it would wake you up to see
what companions your boy has. "Oh,
no! we have no gang of boys in
Ocala!" Then Ocala is different from
any other CITY of her size. And If yoH
we're a boy, or could be one again just
for a moment, you would see a gang
of bows at the S. A. L. depot, a gang
on Seventh street, gang on Fourth
street, and a gang of boys at other
places. including the bicycle gang OF
Young BOYS who ride up and down the
street. especially on Sunadys, before
the churches, when their parents
think they are in Sunday school. You
being a boy once in your life, you
probably will say they are just
crowd of growing, exuberant, live
BOYS. Yes, and God bless them-they
are the coming men of our nation.
Let me say to you men, that times
are different now than when you and
were boys. A boy ten or twelve
years old now knows as much about
certain things, as most of us "old
ducks" did at twenty. And 1t be-
hooves us to get these same boys un-
der the proper environment. When
YOU see these same boys crying for
something to place in their young
lives. does it not appeal to you to
give them the best you can give so as
to make them great, good and useful
citizens, and make them helpers in