Norwich bulletin., 1916-02-24
PRESIDENT LIVINGSTONE'S
 ADDRESS TO THE COUNCIL
A General View of the Progress of
 Scouting and It's Great Prospect.

Gentlemen of the National Council, to open the sixth annual meeting of the national organization, and the sixth annual meeting practically of the organization of the Boy Scouts of America. am very glad to extend you a welcome to the city of Wash ington to meet with us here.
 During the past year of our move ment throughout the country we have had a great deal to congratulate our selves upon. I think the mothers and fathers and the people in control of cities and states, and the National legislators and the officials of the National government, are more inn pressed than ever with the efficiency of this movement as a great citizen making movement, taking up and pulling into it's ranks all classes of boys and making out of them thor ough-gOing patriotic citizens of this country. I can speak for the city of Washington especially from my con- tact with senators and members of the house of representatives and members of the cabinet. I do not know of a single dissenting voice or one that does not heartily appreciate everything that we have tried to do and are doing.
 
 little less-if I have the figures cor rectly-than 150,000 boys in good standing. We all know what a smaI percentage that is of the available boyhood that should be in this move ment throughout the country I have not given up my idea, and I think it becomes cemented in my mind, and I know in the minds of others, more firmly all the time, that we are sim ply touching a movement which in the end will be universal, or next to uni versal, in the educational systems of this country. It is bound to come. What we have already-and I may say that our large number, 150,000, is twice as big as the standing army of the United States tOday-is really but small percentage of what is coming, and when you consider the number of boys who should have this movement--and who will have it in the end-and appreciate the magni- tude of that which we have started, I am sure it will Culminate in the sue cess that is coming to it.
 Of course we have to deal with all the varied questions of development its finances, it's adjustments with other movements of a similar nature; trying to help and aid the boys and not to have quarrels with them, not to have friction with them, but to get along with them and progress with
 
 always keeping up our courage and going ahead with what we know is a movement of the greatest value to boys.
 You must bear in mind that never was anything of this character at tempted before. It fuses together and unifies all the minor efforts to help the boys that have been started from time to time.
 The efficiency of the movement I dwelt upon in my address last year, and the year before that. Each year that we have assembled efficiency in character development of boys has been the real object of our delibera- tions and it is the object we should have in view now. Just wearing the clothes and buttons and winning the badges and carrying them on the boys arms is not sufficient in the minds of the people among whom we are operating. If the law and the oath that our boys have taken are ne gleCted. and the people find that they are using simply the clothing of the organization. the insignia of the or ganiZatiOn, to belong to a club and not to create a strong sfervent senti- ment in favor of morality and uplift-