Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-06

1T was the greatest opportunity Boy
+! Scouts; have ever had to show the value
,, Of their work." said Scout Commissioner
Martin yesterday upon his return from
Gettysburg, Pa, where fifty Boy Scouts
OF Washington were on duty during the
| reunion. Mr.. Martin returned to WASH
5, ington late Friday night, but the scouts
! did not reach here until yesterday after
| noon.
/ Many people have imagined that the
| Boy Scout organization is a play organi-
| zation and not Of any real value" said
Mr. Martin. ''Rut the thousands of people
who visited Gettysburg now know the
great worth of the organization. They
realize the meaning of the scout motto.
| Be prepared" They know that the boys
are taught more than merely how to
| play.
THE. Gettysburg camping experience is
| one of the greatest any Boy Scouts have
ever had. Never before have they had
an opportunity to be of such great as
| sistance.
| Their work astonished the regular
army officers assigned at the camp and
also the Red Cross physicians. They
| showed that they know a thing or two
| about pitching tents and caring for first
aid patients. But these are only two of
the scout activities which they demon
strated under actual working conditions.
The scouts also proved their worth as
guides. nurses. guards and in the in
formation booths
| 1t was happy and sun-browned bunch
OF scouts that returned to this city yes
terday from the camp. The boys were
| glad to get home, for many Of them will
start tomorrow for the summer camp on
| the Chesapeake bay. All of the boys
| were in the best of health Their uni
forms did not present the spic and span
appearance they did when they left here
| a week ago, but this did not worry the
boys
The Washington scouts We're relieved
from duty at the camp at clock Fri
day afternoon. Early yesterday morn
ing they turned in their blankets and
camp equipment and prepared 70 board
I the train for home
| The Washington Boy Scouts arrived at
Gettysburg at 7:15 last Saturday night
| They were. met by Scout Commissioner
| Martin and then marched to the National
Red Cross headquarters, which was out
side Of the camp proper. Through a mis-.
understanding no quarters had been pro-
vided for them the first night but the
boys were furnished blankets and given
vision of the camp. Because of the I'M
settled conditions some little difficulty
was experienced in getting breakfast the
| first morning, but after that all meals
| were served to the boys on scheduled
time.
! AS soon as the first breakfast was over
the boys all reported at o'clock at the
/ Red Cross headquarters, where they
! formed into two troops of twenty-four
members each. Each troop was composed
of three patrols Of eight each and was
/ commanded by scOutmaster Scoutmas-
| ter Pirtle was placed In charge of Troop
1 No. l, and ScoutmaSter killian OF Troop
No. . Associated with the Washington
scouts were two other troops--one from
Burlington. N. j.. and another made up
Hagerstown. They were in charge Of
Scoutmaster Shoi Of Burlington and
Scoutmaster ID. w. Clark of Frederick.
| A patrol was then assigned to duty at
1 the fourteen relief stations located
throughout the battle-ground. At the
| larger stations an entire patrol was as
signed to duty. Half patrols were as
signed To the smaller stations.
Twenty-four scouts We're kept on the
grounds during the day to do guard duty
They were assigned to watch the Red
| Cross Headquarters, Red Gloss supply
! tent. the Washington headquarters and
| the eleven cone tents used by the boys
The boys also guarded the tents used by
the seventy-two Red Cross nurses
1 Twenty-four scouts were detailed To
Field Hospital No. l. A scout was placed
| In each ward of the hospital In each
rest station two were assigned to duty.
The scout assigned to the Held hos-
pitai found that their slaves were the
most useful portion of their equipment
A. seon AS an ambulance drew up to
the hospital -four scousa would immcoi-
ateiy take their position ~ tho rear OF
the vshlclo and farm . square about
| the ntfetUhsr as the patient waA ear
RED into one of the wards. In this