Evening star., 1914-02-12
MORE MEN NEEDED
TO AID BOY SCOUTS
Plea Made at Meeting of Ma
tionaI Council for Ad-
ditionaI Leaders.
BRYAN LAUDS MOVEMENT
AT WHITE HOUSE VISIT
Secretary Of State Acts in Absence
of President-Mrs. Wilson
Presents Badges.

Pleas for more men to become scout
commissioners and assistant scout COM
missioners to direct the younger boys
were heard at the fourth annual meet
ing of the National Council of Boy
Scouts of America at the Raleigh Hotel
this morning. Business and profess
sional men from all parts of the coun-
try were present to take part In the
discussions. having for their purpose
the improvement in the boyhood Of the
country.
The morning session was given over to
reports. This afternoon at 2:15 o'clock
Secretary Bryan Of the State Depart
ment and Mrs. Wilson, the wife of
President Wilson, received members of
the council in the east room of the
White House, at which time Mrs. Wilson
pinned on tho coats OF 1--WE Washington
boys the eagle scout insignia, which
they won through having passed ex-
amina.ions for twenty-one merit badges.
These boys were Norris Gaddess, Troop
80; Fred Reed. Troop II: Graeme r
Smallwood. Troop 50; James Denslow Egg
gleston, Troop q. and C. Throckmorton
Troop Al. President Wilson, who is hon
orary president of the Boy Scouts Of
America. had made an engagement to re-
ceive the National Council. but under or
ders from his physician he was compelled
to cancei all engagements and asked Sec
retary Bryan to fulfill the one he had
with the council.
The proposal for decentralization Of Boy
Scout activities was made at the morning
session by S. a. Moffat, national field
scout commissioner The movement has
now become so big, 1t was declared and
it is practically impossible for all OF the
work to be handled from one national
headquarters and plans for dividing the
country into eight fields or districts were
outlined, as follows:
New York. Pennsylvania. New Jersey,
District of Columbia. Delaware, Mary
land West Virginia and Virginia
j. Southeastern states-North Carolina,
South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Ten
nessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi,
Louisiana.
3. Middle west-Ohio, Michigan, Wis
consin, Indiana, Illinois. Kentucky
3. Northwest-Minnesota, North Da-
kota. South Dakota. Nebraska and iowa
Kansas. Oklahoma Texas
6. Mountain statesLColorado. wyo-
ming, Utah, Arizona. New Mexico.
:. Southern Pacific states-California,
Nevada.
S. Northern Pacific states-washington
Oregon, Idaho, Montana.
May Change "Class'' Age.
Much discussion developed over the pro-
posal to make the minimum age for
tenderfoot scouts twelve years. second
class thirteen years and first class four.
teen years. The matter was finally re-
ferred to the executive committee, with
power to act after it had felt the pulse
of the scout field" In opposing this
plan Mr.. Fuller of st. Louis said tha,
"any system Of rules that is repressive
in its nature is not founded on sound
psychology. Repressive training works
against advancement of the boy"
Reports were read by Chief Scout
Ernest Thompson Seton. on the national
court of honor; for the editorial board
by William D. Murray. chairman; on
the magazine. by Frank Presby: scou,
library activities, by Franklin X. Ma
thews, chief scout librarian; badges and
awards. by S. S. Moffatt, national field
scout commissioner; finance committee
John Sherman Hoyt; treasurer's report
George D. Pratt, and Chief Scout Exc
cutive James Z. West read his report
Owing to the pressure of time the re-
ports of the committee on scout supplies
and the committee on sea scouting were
put over until the afternoon session
which is scheduled to begin at 3:15
o'clock