The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1916-11-01

as a matter of his daily life during
his formative years, there is little
danger of his forsaking them entire
ly in later life.
These virtues are made vital bv a
program of activities which gives a
boy an opportunity to put them in
to actual practice. He is given COM
missions to perform certain acts and
is trusted ION his honor as a scout"
to carry them into effect. The fea-
ture of service to others is empha-
sized by encouraging scouts to do "a
good turn" to somebody every day.
This ''good turn" idea is taken very
seriuosly. 1t has inspired thousands
Of boys to the point where they vo-
lunteer to wash dishese and tend ba-
bies. And there can be no severer
test than that! The idea of thrift
is driven home by requiring a scout
to earn and deposit money in the
bank before he can advance from the
rank of 'Tenderfoot" to that of
Second Class Scout" and from the
latter to the coveted position of
First Glass Scout" Bravery is
taught by bringing to the attention
of the scouts, brave acts Of others
and by giving them commissions to
go alone into the country. Bravery
is expected of scouts as a matter of
course and moral bravery as we'll as
bravery Of spirit.
All of the scout principles are
made interesting by a program Of
activities which includes hiking,
camping, first aid, knot-tying, wood
craft, handicraft, pioneering, and all
other things Of like character that
boys like to do. But no activity is
included in the Boy Scout program
without a good reason; each must
serve it's purpose in contributing
something to the character develop
ment of the boy. Scout activities
and the scout oath and law are so
closely interviewer that it is impos-
sible to separate them.
The Boy Scout Movement does not
interfere in any way with a boys
duties at home or in school, but it
does supplement these two great
training forces with third which
completes the circle. It, used to be
home, school and undirected leisure.
Now it is home, school and scout
ing, and the greatest danger point
lin a. boys hfe-his undirected lie
sure time-has been covered. Schools
and homes both are beginning to feel
the beneficial effect of the new force
which has entered the lives of scores
of thousands of American boys.
Few people realize the extent to
which the Boy Scout Movement seeks
to influence the spare time of boys.
In his regular scout work boys
enthusiasms and peculiar interests
are aroused to the point that he de-
votes himself to scout work even
when he is not actually attending a
meeting or hike with the members
of his troop. An effort is made to
influence his reading. For this pur-
pose special edition Of standard
books, carefully selected and endors-
ed by board of eminent librarians
has been published at price boys
can afford to pay. This is doing a.
way with the reading Of thrashy and
harmful stories. Boys Life-the
Boy Scouts Magazine is published
monthly by the movement in order
that the best of current fiction and
the most inspiring articles be made
available to scouts. Everything pos
sible is done to keep boys working
and thinking along constructive,
helpful lines.
1t is because the Boy Scout move
ment has convinced people that this
is the proper way in which to tackle
the "Boy Problem" and has proved
that this method can be made effec-
tive, that the organization has met
with such remarkable success.