Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-24

! Six new troops were organized during
the last week and to each of them has
/ been assigned newly commissioned
scoutmaster Troops Gre located at
Brookland, Cherrydale. Va; Clarendon,
I Va. and three of them are in this city.
Reports received al headquarters indi-
cate that as a result of the good work
done during G. A. r. week many re
| cruits" have been received. A numbe
of troops have their full quota of
scouts. Applicants for membership in
these troops are referred to the newly
| organized troops which have vacancies
Scoutmaster Golf Resigns.
Scoutmaster Eugene Golf of Troop So
of Chevy Chase has been forced to re-
sign because his business affairs will
not permit him to devote the time to
his troop which he desired to give it,
y. Edward Bangs has been appointed
to succeed him. Mr.. Bangs met his
troop for the first time Friday night at
a Set-together meeting at McKendree
Church.
Concerning National Preparedness.
The latest issue of Scouting, the Off
cial organ of the scout movement, con-
tains the following statement with re-
gard to the position of the executive
board of the national council with re-
gard to the question of preparedness in
the United States:
Because of the European war much
| thought and attention has been given
to the question of preparedness in the
| United States. great many volunteer
organizations have been formed to fur
Their propaganda on this question
Some advocate large navy, some adj
vocate large standing army, some adj
vocate both. Some advocate the giving
of military training to schoolboys,
some to high school boys, some to
young men IN college.
"A great many patriotic men Of viril-
ity have shown their interest in this
subject and their devotion to their
country by participating in camps such
as those held at Plattsburg, n. y and
Fort Sheridan, III. Naturally such
groups of men include many interested
the men who have leadership in the
Boy Scout movement are distinctively
OF type who are patriotic and inter-
ested in the welfare of the country
During the last year. and especially
during the last few months, there has
been considerable discussion as to the
attitude Of the Boy Scout movement on
the subject of preparedness.
&
Ign, n. Y, formally requested that the
national council make known it's views
on the question of national prepared
ness. claiming that the Boy Scout
movement was looked upon by many
as either Indifferent to the problem Of
| preparedness or was anti-military
After careful discussion the executive
| board of the national council at it's
October meeting passed resolution on
| the subject
| This does not change the policy or
attitude of the Boy Scout movement in
any particular. The movement will
continue to operate on exactly the same
| lines as heretofore. adhering to the
policy as set forth in the official hand
! book"
| The resolution adopted by the ma
tional council was as follows:
Resolved, that the executive board
take the position that it would be in
| appropriate for the Boy Scouts of
America to take any official action with
| reference to any question of policy for
| the United States government in mat
ters capable of difference of opinion
\ of a political character. Each official
and member should be given full OPP
portunity for freedom of thought and
action as an individual, but not as a
representative of the scout movement
| TT should be clearly understood:
| "First-That the Boy Scout movement
is not anti-military. The Boy Scout
movement neither promotes nor dis
,courages military training, its one con-
cera being the development of char
acter and personal efficiency of Adde'S
cent boys.
| "Second-That the records show that
the Boy Scout movement is promoting
is in reality as strong factor as any
other agency which the country
lnow has for preparedness, since it de-
velops the character of boys and assists
them in securing proper conception
Of a citizens responsibility.
| "Third-Furthermore, boys who have
been scouts WILL because of their train
ing under the motto, Be prepared,
prove themselves more viri1e and eff
icient in any emergency which calls
for their services as citizens of the
country.
Col. Whittlesey Addresses Scouts.
Col James w whittlesey. who sent the
celebrated peace on earth message
from the dome of the Capitol during G. A.
r. week, addressed a meeting of scouts
from Troops 2. Al and SO at McKendree
NJ. E. Church Friday night He gave the
scouts talk on the duties and dangers
of the signal officers during the war and
told Of numerous incidents and escapes.
He paid high tribute to the scout move
ment and told the Washington scouts how
splendidly the scouts did their work at
the c. A. r encampment last year at
Detroit Col. Whittlesey explained the
system of the code used during the civil
war. a code no longer now in use. Three
rousing cheers were given him at the
close of his address
Scoutmaster Davis of Troop made
an address of welcome to the visitors and
the combined troops. Field Executive II.
l.. TAYLOR introduced J. +. Bangs, who is
to take charge of Troop So. Mr.. Golf
has resigned on account of not being
able to devote the necessary time to the
work. About sixty visitors were present.
AT the close of the meeting light refresh
ments were served
Participate in Testimonial.
Scouts from Troops IS. 81, Fl. At and 2
participatede in the band testimonial at
the 18th sttket reservoir Yesterday after