The Washington times., 1913-08-04
WILL MISS. LEADER
WHO LEAVES CITY
Boy Scouts Mourn Departure of
l. Gordon, Leech, Associate
Boys Secretary.

When L. Gordon Leech, associate
boys work secretary of the local Z. M
c. A, ieaves Washington this month
to take up his duties as boys work
secretary of the Pensacola, fla, branch
Of that association, he will leave big
gap In the Boy Scout ranks. although
Mr.. Leech is small man.
For Mr.. Leech is one OF the original
scout organizers in this country, and no
man in the District has done more to
bring scoutcraft to its present COM
manding position than he. He helped
organize Troop No. !, and was its
scoutmaster for two years. He also
organized Troop No. 5, at Friendship
House, almost unaided, and was its
scoutmaste- until his other duties COM
PEELED him to give up the work there.
He has seen the scout organizations in
the District grow from one to fifty-two
troops. and has given his efforts without
stunt In behalf of many of them.
Early Worker In Cause.
Having been one Of three washington
men present at the first Boy Scout camp
ever beld In America, at Silver Bay.
Lage George, n. Y, Mr.. Leech can
quali1y as one of the original workers
OF the scout movement That camp was
heio In the summer of 1870 and those
present were instructed IN scoutcraft
ana organization by Ernest Thompson
seton, now chief scout OF the B. S. A.
with Mr.. Leech were A. NJ. Cheslev
ana j. r. Hovey, and in October of
mat same year they organized Troop
No. 1 among the boys of the Y. M G.
a. All three in turn were scoutmasters
OF that troop At that time there was
no cooperation between the CITY and
the Boy Scouts and Mr.. Chesley was
the first scout commissioner. He
served until 1911, when he was sue
eeeded by Mr.. Martin, the present
commissioner
II was while Mr.. Leech was IN
charge of Troop No. / that It gave its
entertainment at the Arcade In March
191l. which did much to stimulate in
terest in scouting here and which in
c1dentally raised tidy sum for the
scout fund. Chief Scout Seton was
present and hundreds who are tod1y
Wasnlngton's most proficient scouts
got tnelr hrst glimpse of the possibili-
ties OF scout craft at that time
Has Extended Movement.
Only recently Mr.. Leech rendered
very efficient service by organizing the
local council at Kensington, Nd, get
ting such men as NJ. o. Chance and
]. p. Hermann to take places in the
executive body. This is but one of the
many ways he has furthered the work,
as hundreds of scouts can testify.
But, Of all his experience, none proved
more interesting than the two wears
he spent as scoutmaster of Troop !. in
the vicinity OF Friendship House, s12
Virginia avenue southeast Here was
a community where a troop was of in
0alculable benefit to the BOYS. bur
where the scoutmaster needed to be a
man OF unusual tact and strength of
character.
1t was on'y the pressing need of the
work that made Mr.. Leech take II up,
for he was at that time scoutmaster
of Troop No. l, and was working about
sixteen hours day. He soon had
even the most unruly boys imbued with
the spirit of honor characteristic of
the Boy Scout, and things Progressed
nicely until he was compelled TO give
I'D his place as scoutmaster, when the
troop dIstntegrated.
An Amusing Rescue.
There were two of my scouts on
the street one rainy afternoon when
they saw a very heavy man, who
seemed a little unsteady on his feet,
slip and fall right in front of a sewer
opening" said Mr.. Leech yesterday in
recounting his experiences. The fel-
lows feet slid down into the sewer,
but his stomach was too big to let
him go all the way in, and he lay
there and yelled for help.
THE boys ran to him and succeeded
in getting him out He was badly
bruised, so they took him home, and
found that he lived on a high blufT
reached by steep flight OF steps.
They got behind him and managed to I
push him 10 the top. He offered them
20 cents. but they refused it. Then his
mother came to the door and insisted
that they take il, so they compromised
by accepting a nickel apiece.
Another scout OF Troop saw a |
woman in the Center Market throw
what appeared to be a bundle of old |
paper out of a basket into the W: ste |
can Something in the bundle attract |
ed his attention. and he saw il was |
bank book with s25 In it. He returned
1t TO the woman and she thanked him I
profusely, saying 1t was her rent money, |
but offered him no other reward. When |
he told his mother about II that night |
she felt sorry for him, and although |
money was scarce, she gave him a nickel /
for having been honest.
There Is great work TO be done in |
that district by a scoutmaster who is |
Interested and able to give the boys the |
best there Is In hin"
Good Chance in South.
While Washington scouts will be sorry
r. 4.