Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1914-10-22

S1Dl1ty away from the BOY. Iney are
catering to his every wish and as
result are weakening character rather
than benefting the child, as they feel
they are doing. There is an abundance
of the so called scientific training and
too little of the practical.
Years ago. in the days Of our grand
fathers, the boy was very close to ma
ture. He had more responsibilities.
He had his chores to do. and he had
to act more for himself than he does
today. Today all kinds of luxury sur
round the average boy. Even the sons
and daughters of the very poor have
their clubs and, having them, enjoy
more privileges than the boy of means
of years ago. The boy today plays
mechanically and does not depend upon
his own resOurcefulneSs as he used to.
He does not have to make his own
toys They are bought for him in
stead.
l never had toy bought for me in
my life. Everything had of this kind
in my boyhood l had to make myself
from materials that cost nothing.
l remember once the delight l took
in bow and arrow l made. It would
have been impossible for me to have
gone into a shop and with money given
me by my father to purchase such a
weapon. My father had to use his
money in other ways However, best
of all, the bow and arrow that l made
myself was far stronger and more
And | had the satisfaction of knowing
that | made it myself.
There were times when | envied the
boys who had fine toys and good
clothes / often wondered if they had
them why I could not have them too.
always had the ambition to catch up
with those boys and to have the same
things that they did.
l said to myself, "SOme day I will
have good clothes, and then l will be
on an equal footing with those boys"
From that day to this it has been
one continual fight and l want to tell
the boys right here that l believe that
l am a bigger man because of this
constant struggle.
| did not try to catch up with these
other boys for the sake of just mixing
with them. My ambition was to show
them that was as good as they were.
In my position of poverty the only
way to show them at that time was to
fight them, and l used to do this.
was a fighter with my hands. l could
hold my own with any boy in this
way.
My idea was all wrong. 7 believed
could fight with his hands. If l fought
with Il boy and he conquered me
would meet him again. All this was
before | used my brains.
Then | met men who fought with
their brains. Boys you all have brains
There is no need of fighting with your
hands. 1t is a silly thing to fight with
fists when 4 matter can be settled
with you" mental equipment.
l listened with great interest to these
men who settled differences with cool
words. They appealed to me, l be-
lieved in them.
l said to myself, This is another
kind of fight, and it is bigger and
broader"
These men seemed to like me, and
we drifted along together l watched
them and saw how they lived and how
they looked. Then | would notice that
people admired them.
l would say again to myself, What
can / do to become a man like these
men?"
knew these men had been educated
in the schools. l hadn't. They were
refined and could speak different Ian
guages, and looked up to them. Boys,
such thing is one of the best things
l know of. If there is some particular
big man who is loved by the people
and who appeals to you as being big.
worth while kind of man make him
your ideal and work and fight to be-
come man like him.
Don't for moment think that you
cannot do this. Your success depends
on your grit and determination. When
you are discouraged, fight the harder.
A man who always keeps at thing is
bound to win out. None Of us realize
what we really can do until we are
called upon by necessity.
These men meant more to me than
ever could. They possessed
that money can never buy
big qualities.
/ have seen much of life in the forest
and on the sea. | know one thing
above all else. and that is that a man
must be fair to get anywhere. He
must be true to his friends and true to
himself
The Golden Rule do unto others as
you would have them do unto you" is
the best thing in the world to follow.
1t can't be beat If every one tivad mn
10 it we 1YuuGd have a perfect world
such as the Almighty wants US to
have
The boy scout oath is the embodi-
mani of tho Golden Rule