Norwich bulletin., 1915-02-23
NORWICH BOY SCOUTS
 WENT TO HARTFORD
Participated With a Thousand Others
 in State Rally.


 Favored With ideal weather, eight of the Norwich boy scouts headed by their scoutmaster, Benjamin NJ Bruce, and carrying their troop banner, bearded the 7.45 o'clock trolley car at Franklin square for Hartford via Willimantic Monday morning and two hours later they were mingltng With nearly thousand scouts from all over the state who participated in the big scout rally in that city. The boys who made the trip with Scoutmaster Bruce were Act ing Troop Leader Edwin Sevin, Assis- tant Patrol Leader Clifford PaTdy, Otho Chase, Halsey Gallup, Jlmer Jew cit. Douglas Seviu Berthold Comeau and Arthur Norton.
 Senator Louis R. Cheney, president of Hartford council of Boy Scouts, welcomed the 800 or more boys at the assembly hall of the high school, and after all the troops had yelled their wells and the bugle had sounded for assembly, Senator Cheney made an address.
 Commissioner c. $. Ripley was greeted with applause when he ad- vanced to the platform with brief welcome and an explanation Of the contest events. The American Boy Scouts yell was given in deafening volume as Mir. Ripley closed.
 The Rev. W. $. Beard of Willinlan- tic. scoutmaster. and a relative of National Commissioner Dan Beard, all uniformed in his Scoutnlaster khaHds spoke to the boys cn The Hall Marks of a Scout. He summed up that the hall marks of a scout were not his clothes or his knowledge, but his con duct He told of some of the prin cipies of Boy Scout work. and express ed his great regret that his relative Dan Beard, could not be present, but he advised the boys if they ever reached New ] ork 10 visit Dan Beard at his home in Flushing.
 An inspiring talk was given by Lud- wig $ Dale Of New York national field commissioner from national head quarters. He said the boys were mem ber5 of the largest therhood for boys in the world. He had found them in Russia, everywhere in ? countries, there being 1000 600 Boy Scouts in the world and 350. 600 in this coun- try. The managers have been in vited tU bring the movement to China and Japan
 4 programme of Scouts tests was carried out at the asmo-y.
 Started in England.
 The modern boy scout movement started in England. General. now Sir. Robert Baden Powell was the first boy scout, 50 called. He brought the move nent to America in 1910. through W. D. Boyce of Chicago Mir. Boyce was impressed by the boy scouts in Eng land, and under sanction of Sir Baden Powell started council in Chicago. The first council in this country was five years old Feb s and there are now 5OOs00v or more scouts in this country.
 Boy scouts are not military. but teach patriotism and discipline. They stand for four things: Character, health, efficiency and service. The re- suit is the best citizenship.
 When a boy joins a scout council he takes the scout oath and promises to obey the scout laws. ~He is at first tenderfoOt. then a secOnd-ClaSs and fl- nalfN a hrst-class scout. taking exam nations so as to advance himself. These examinations require that the boy shall do as well as know" He must make q fiTe-yvith but two match es. tie knots, understand first aid to the injured, earn money and put 1t in certain prescribed distance, know birds trees and flowers. be able to do camp cooking, take long hikes and make maps of the trip. etc.
 The most in lpOrtant thing is that the boy must show that he has lived up to the laws and his oath. 4 scout does at least one good turn daily. He can take no tips for favors. The ffrst-class scout may go higher by passing exam nations i'll special subjects, such as 1 first aid civics. public health. craft work, machinery. camping, art, music sculpture, scholarship, photography, forestry and others.
 These examinations if passed, allow a merit badge for every honor and these are among the highest honOrs to be given in the scout system. They are only to be won by drst-class scouts Certain explanations of the merit badges enCtle a scout to the life scout badge. Five of these give him the star scout badge and if he has Il more he is an eagle scout. This is the high est point that can be reached by a scout and proves him to be one of the most proficient and efficient boys in the country. It takes 2l merit badges to secure the eagle scout badge.
 Boy Scouts Need Leaders Here. AS regards scouting in Norwich, says Scoutmaster Bruce, it certainly is not what it ought to be The reason. of course Is, s usual, lack of interested adult leaders. There is only one reg ' istered troop of IS scouts in Norwich, ! which has been active two years. How ever, there are the beginnings of four other troops under good leadership. My ambition for the past year has been to secure at least five registered troops and demand of citizens of Nor ! wicf a local council. The present prospective scoutmasters are ali in fla Vor of this plan and it now seems a possibility in a. few months.
 Of course it depends largely on pub l llcity, and I believe the local papers should do all possible to cooperate. It seems to me a good plan to have ev- cry week in a local paper a section 1 especially for boy scouts which can be l used to advantage in giving the exper- l fence of scouts longer in the service 1 to new scouts and scoutuasters. In eastern Connecticut there are sev- l eral thriving boy scout organizations. | It ought to be possible to promote some kind of a county organization for l scoutnasters at least; to meet once a month for the purpose of excha nging ] ideas and planning inter-city contests | and possibly joint camps.
 1 Wiilin1antic Scouts.
 | Troop Boy Scouts of America, To- ] cated in Willimantic is affiliated with 1 the First Congregational church from | which parish come most of it's mem 1 berS- The troop consists of four pa | trols, bears, owls, wolves and eagles,
 tota1ling nearly 80 boys. with five oth- CTS not yet enrolled who will take the teEderfoot testa within a month. The present year is proving to be by all
 odds the most satisfactory of the three
 since the troop has been in existence ] Friday night is scout night and neither